THE  MAKING  0¥ 
THE  ENGLISH  BIBL 


SAMUEL  M?  COMB  D.D^g 


Divisioa    IBS "^55 

^      .  M  !? 

feettioa 


THE  MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 


THE  MAKING  of  the 
ENGLISH     BIBLE 


Z-' 


gy  the 

REV.  SAMUEL  McCOMB,  M.A.,  D.D. 

Emmanuel  Churchy  Boston 

Formerly  Professor  of  Church  History  at 

Queen's  University^  Canada 


NEW  YORK 

MOFFAT,  YARD  AND  COMPANY 

1909 


Copyright,  1909,  by 

MOFFAT,  YARD  AND  COMPANY 

New  York 

Published.  August,  1909 


TO 

THE  MEMORY  OF 

MY  MOTHER 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Prefatory  Note vii 

Introduction ix 

I    William    Tindale — the    Father   of    the 

English  Bible 1 

II    The  Contribution  of  Miles  Coverdale    .  27 

III    The  Contribution  of  the  Genevan  Version  40 

IV    The  Contribution  of  the  Bishops'  Bible  54 

V    The  Roman  Catholic  Contribution  .       .  63 

VI    The    Contribution    of    the    Authorised 

Version 87 

VII    The  Contribution  of  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
can Version       .       .       .       .       .       .  100 

APPENDIX : 

Note  J.— The  English  Bible  before  Tindale      .  129 
Note  B— Tindale's  Debt  to  the  Wyeliffite  Ver- 
sions             135 

Note  C — On   the   Origin    and   History   of   the 

Latin  Vulgate 141 

Note  D— Wrong  or  Inadequate  Renderings  in 

the  Vulgate 155 

Note—HhQ  Greek  of  the  New  Testament  .       .  162 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 167 

Table  I      ....        .          Facing  Page  170 

Table  II "        "  180 

INDEX 185 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

In  the  following  pages  an  attempt  is  made 
to  indicate  the  sources  of  the  English  Bible 
and  to  estimate  the  literary  influences  that 
have  conspired  to  make  it  the  most  vener- 
able of  our  classics.  The  history  of  its  ex- 
ternal fortunes  has  been  recently  told  with 
knowledge  and  ability  by  Mr.  H.  W.  Hoare 
in  his  Evolution  of  the  English  Bible,  and  for 
the  first  time  its  great  obligations  to  the  Ro- 
man Catholic. English  Version  have  been  fully 
illustrated  by  Dr.  J.  G.  Carleton  in  his  The 
Part  of  Rheims  in  the  Making  of  the  Eng- 
lish Bible.  Dr.  Lupton's  general  account  of 
the  English  Versions  in  Hastings'  Diction- 
ary  of  the  Bible  (extra  volume)  is  scholarly 
and  abreast  of  our  latest  information.  To 
these  writers  I  desire  to  express  my  acknowl- 


X  PREFATORY  NOTE 

edgments.  My  especial  thanks  are  due  to  Pro- 
fessor J.  H.  Gardiner  of  Harvard  University, 
for  Ms  kindness  in  making  several  valuable 
suggestions. 

Boston,  May,  1909. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  belief  that  the  Bible  is  the  monumental 
record  of  a  Divine  revelation,  the  supreme 
witness  to  the  reality  of  God  and  of  the  moral 
order  of  the  world,  constitutes  its  primary 
and  essential  value  as  an  appeal  to  our 
ethical  and  religious  needs.  Modern  criti- 
cism has  indeed  made  an  end  of  the  notion — 
a  survival  of  Protestant  scholasticism — of  its 
merely  verbal  inspiration  and  authority,  but 
with  the  destruction  of  the  letter  has  come 
the  emancipation  of  the  spirit.  The  Bible  is 
no  longer  a  consecrated  idol.  It  has  become 
the  spiritual  servant  of  humanity  and  has 
entered  on  a  fresh  career  of  power  and  per- 
manence. In  English-speaking  countries,  at 
least,  its  spiritual  force  is  unabated,  though  its 
coercive  authority  has  gone.  Thousands  of 
men  and  women  to-day  are  studying  the  Bible 
with  joy  in  the  light  shed  by  the  new  knowl- 

xi 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

edge  of  our  time  and  are  finding  in  it,  as 
their  fathers  found,  the  source  of  a  truly 
spiritual  ideal  of  life  and  the  unquenched 
fuel  that  kindles  imagination  and  feeds  the 
fire  of  moral  affections.  A.nd  perhaps  the 
best  witness  to  the  truth  of  this  assertion  is 
the  slow  but  sure  progress  in  popular  favour 
which  the  Kevised  Version  is  making  in  its 
two  slightly  divergent  forms,  the  English  and 
the  American  editions;  for  the  popular  de- 
mand is  for  a  version  which,  at  whatever  sac- 
rifice, will  give  clearest  and  purest  expression 
to  the  sense  of  the  original  documents.  To 
the  literary  critic,  indeed,  who  is  more  con- 
cerned with  the  form  than  the  idea,  the  re- 
vision may  well  seem  ^^an  elaborately  foolish 
attempt  ' '  Mo  improve  upon  the  most  vener- 
able of  English  classics ;  but  after  all,  the  pop- 
ular instinct  is  sound.  No  aesthetic  attrac- 
tions, no  pedigree,  however  honourable,  can 
bear  out  the  application  of  the  crucial  and 
final  test  of  faithfulness  to  the  primitive 
texts.    The  average  reader  of  the  Bible  in 

^  Saintsbury,  Short  Ei&tory  of  English  Literaturey  p.  380. 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

our  day  asks  that  these  old  Greek  and 
Hebrew  writings  should  speak  to  him  as  they 
spoke  to  their  first  readers,  freed  from  the 
meanings  imposed  upon  them  by  later  ages 
and  from  the  unconscious  errors  of  imperfect 
scholarship.  A  Bible  that  refuses  to  meet 
this  demand  may  serve  the  needs  of  a  coterie ; 
it  cannot  speak  home  to  a  wider  humanity. 
On  the  other  hand,  a  translation  which  would 
break  away  from  the  past  and  pedantically 
renounce  the  moving  and  living  rhythm  of 
earlier  workers  would  make  no  wide  appeal 
to  the  popular  mind.  Having  no  root  in  the 
soil  of  a  great  literary  tradition  it  would  soon 
wither  away. 

The  purpose  of  this  book  is  not  to  give  a 
history  of  the  English  Bible,  but  to  indicate 
in  the  light  of  recent  investigations  the  im- 
mense debt  our  latest  revision  owes  to  its 
predecessors,  and  to  estimate  the  contribu- 
tions to  it  from  the  most  diverse  sources.  It 
will  appear  that  our  Bible  is  the  most  catholic 
thing  in  all  literature.  Friend  and  foe  alike 
have  been  pressed  into  its  service.    Men  of 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

every  type  of  religious  conviction  have, 
directly  or  indirectly,  willingly  or  unwill- 
ingly, left  their  mark  upon  its  pages.  Ke- 
former  and  Humanist,  Eoman  Catholic  and 
Protestant,  Prelatist  and  Puritan,  Calvinist 
and  Arminian,  Trinitarian  and  Unitarian, 
Orthodox  and  Liberal — all  meet  here  if  no- 
where else  and  lose  their  mutual  discords  in  a 
higher  symphony.  It  is  this  interesting  fact 
that  we  propose  to  investigate  in  these  pages. 


CHAPTER  I 

WILLIAM    TINDALE — THE    FATHER    OF    THE 
ENGLISH    BIBLE 

The  Father  of  the  English  Bible  as  we 
have  it  is  William  Tindale,  a  man  whose 
history,  as  Froude  ^  remarks,  is  lost  in  his 
work  and  whose  epitaph  is  the  Reformation. 
His  parentage,  the  date  and  place  of  his  birth, 
are  not  certainly  known.  Recent  investiga- 
tion, however,  points  to  the  parish  of  Slym- 
bridge  in  the  English  county  of  Gloucester  as 
his  birthplace,  and  to  1495  as  about  the  time 
he  was  born.^  Foxe,  the  Martyrologist,  and 
our  only  authority  for  Tindale 's  early  life, 
tells  us,  ^^  He  was  brought  up  from  a  child 
in  the  University  of  Oxford,  where  he  grew 
and  increased  as  well  in  the  knowledge  of 
tongues  and  other  liberal  arts  as  espe- 
cially in  the  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures, 
whereunto    his    mind    was    singularly    ad- 

1  History  of  England,  Vol.  II,  p.  40. 

2  See  Demaus,  William  Tindale  (3d  edition),  pp.  22,  23. 


2       MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

dieted. '^  It  is  probable  tbat  Colet  bad  left 
Oxford  to  become  tbe  famous  London 
preacher  when  Tindale  entered  the  Univer- 
sity, but  the  future  translator  of  the  Bible* 
must  have  felt  the  stir  created  by  the  great 
Dean's  famous  lectures  on  the  Epistles  of  St. 
Paul,  when  for  the  first  time  Englishmen  felt 
the  vital  breath  of  the  Apostolic  teaching  and 
realised,  as  has  been  finely  said,  that 
*'  Greece  had  risen  from  the  dead  with  the 
New  Testament  in  her  hand. ' ' 

After  graduation  he  proceeded  to  Cam- 
bridge, where  Erasmus  had  taught  Greek 
and  put  life  into  the  dry  bones  of  the  deadest 
of  dead  divinity.  It  was  while  here  that  the 
great  Humanist's  Greek  Testament  with  a 
Latin  translation,  which  marks  an  epoch  in 
religious  history,  must  have  fallen  into  his 
hands  and  lit  the  fire  of  a  sacred  ambition 
that  death  alone  could  quench.  If  we  call 
Tindale  the  Father  of  the  English  New  Tes- 
tament, we  may  fitly  term  Erasmus  its  grand- 
father. The  work  of  Erasmus,  published  in 
1516,  was  an  appeal  by  a  son  of  the  Church, 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE        3 

dedicated  to  the  Pope  and  addressed  to  all 
thoughtful  and  cultivated  men.  Disregard- 
ing traditional  interpretation,  throwing  over- 
board the  allegorical  method  that  throughout 
the  Middle  Ages  had  substituted  sound  for 
sense,  he  sought  to  get  at  the  real  meaning 
of  the  sacred  writers,  the  exact  teaching  of 
Christ  and  His  Apostles.  It  was  this  GrsBCO- 
Latin  edition  that  broke  the  traditional  in- 
fallibility of  the  Vulgate.  What  Erasmus 
achieved  for  the  scholar,  Tindale  would  do 
for  the  poor  and  the  illiterate.  The  pupil 
had  imbibed  the  spirit  of  his  master's  words 
— *^  I  wish  that  they — the  Gospels  and 
Epistles — were  translated  into  all  languages 
so  as  to  be  read  and  understood  not  only  by 
Scots  and  Irishmen,  but  even  by  Saracens 
and  Turks.'' ^  Like  Wycliife  before  him, 
Tindale  came  to  believe  that  the  Bible  was 
not,  as  the  mediaeval  mind  supposed,  the 
peculiar  property  of  ecclesiastics  and  theo- 
logians, but  rather  the  people's  book;  not  a 
part  of  a  deposit  which  the  Church  held  in 

^Exhortation,  prefixed  to  the  Greek  New  Testament,  1516. 


4       MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

trust  for  the  laity  and  which  it  dispensed  in 
fragments  and  these  fragments  veiled  be- 
neath a  traditional  gloss,  but  a  book  open  to 
all  men,  for  all,  to  be  understood  of  all.  This 
belief  marks  the  uprise  of  the  democratic 
spirit  in  religion.  Though  ordained  to  the 
priesthood,  there  is  no  trustworthy  evidence 
that  Tindale  assumed  monastic  vows.  It  was 
while  under  a  patron  ^s  roof  in  his  native 
county  that  he  made,  by  way  of  rejoinder  to 
a  theological  opponent,  his  famous  boast: 
*  *  If  God  spare  my  life,  ere  many  years  I  will 
cause  a  boy  that  driveth  the  plough  to  know 
more  of  the  Scripture  than  thou  doest. ' '  * 

In  1523  he  went  up  to  London  to  interest 
the  Bishop  of  that  city  in  his  projected  trans- 
lation. His  hopes  were  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment. Bishop  Tunstall,  who  though  a 
friend  of  the  New  Learning  was  hostile  to 
the  Eeformation,  gave  him  no  encourage- 
ment, and  the  conviction  was  forced  upon 
him  that  *^  not  only  was  there  no  room  in  my 
Lord  of  London's  palace  to  translate  the 

*  Foxe,  Acts  and  Monuments,  Vol.  V,  p.  117. 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE        5 

New  Testament, ' '  but  also  that  there  was  no 
place  to  do  it  in  all  England/  Henceforth, 
like  Dante,  he  was  to  prove — 

"How  salt  the  savor  is  of  others'  bread, 
How  hard  the  passage  to  descend  and  climb 
By  others'  stairs,"  2 

Illegal  as  it  was  to  print  the  Scriptures  with- 
out episcopal  sanction,  he  realised  that  if  the 
task  to  which  he  felt  himself  called  was  to  be 
done,  it  could  be  done  only  on  the  Continent. 
In  the  spring  of  1524  he  left  England  for 
Germany,  never  to  return.  Early  the  fol- 
lowing year,  we  find  him  busy  at  Cologne 
superintending  the  printing  of  his  transla- 
tion of  the  New  Testament.  Compelled  to 
flee  before  the  work  was  finished,  he  found 
a  refuge  in  Worms,  a  centre  of  the  new 
opinions,  where  he  issued  two  editions,  which 
in  due  time,  to  the  number  of  six  thousand 
copies,  were  secretly  smuggled  into  England, 
and  as  secretly  sold  in  town  and  country. 
In  1530  he  published  the  Pentateuch  in  Eng- 
lish from  the  original  Hebrew,  to  be  fol- 

1  Preface  to  the  Pentateuch. 

2  Paradiso  XVII.     (Plumptre's  translation.) 


6       MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

lowed  by  the  Book  of  Jonah  a  year  later.  In 
1534  ^  a  revised  edition  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  the  Pentateuch  appeared.  In  May 
of  1535  he  was  betrayed  by  a  false  friend, 
arrested,  thrown  into  prison  at  Vilvorde  near 
Brussels,  and  on  October  6,  1536,  he  crowned 
a  life  of  self-denial,  of  devotion  and  scholarly 
simplicity,  with  a  martyr's  death. 

As  has  been  said,  Tindale  was  not  the  first 
to  render  the  New  Testament  in  English.^ 
Two  centuries  before  his  day,  Wycliffe  and 
his  disciples  had  given  the  Bible  to  the  people 
and  had  thereby  stirred  a  religious  ferment 
which  had  not  wholly  died  away  even  in  Tin- 
dale's  time.  But  in  the  England  of  the  four- 
teenth century,  Hebrew  and  Greek  were  un- 
known, and  the  Wycliffite  translation  was 
made,  not  from  the  originals,  but  from  the 
current  traditional  and  rather  corrupt  text 
of   the   Latin   Vulgate.    It   is   the   peculiar 

1  Two  other  editions  appeared  during  Tindale's  lifetime, 
one  dated  1535,  and  the  other  1535,  1534.  This  latter  is  the 
text  Rogers  took  over  and  embodied  in  Matthew's  Bible  of 
1537.  It  embodies  Tindale's  last  corrections.  The  1535  edi- 
tion is  probably  a  pirated  misprint. 

2  See  Appendix,  Note  A. 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE        7 

glory  of  Tindale  that  he  was  the  first  to  go 
behind  the  Latin  Bible  to  the  fountain  head 
and  render  directly  the  original  documents. 
His  design  was  to  translate  the  entire 
Bible,  but  his  taking  off  by  his  enemies 
in  1536  prevented  its  complete  accomplish- 
ment. We  owe  to  him,  first,  the  New  Testa- 
ment; second,  the  Pentateuch;  third,  accord- 
ing to  an  old  tradition,  from  Joshua  to  II 
Chronicles,  inclusive.  This  last  portion  he 
is  believed  to  have  left  behind  in  manuscript 
in  the  hands  of  his  friend,  John  Rogers,  who 
afterwards  embodied  it  in  Matthew's  Bible. 
This  tradition  has  been  to  some  extent  cor- 
roborated by  a  passage  in  HalPs  Chronicle 
(1548),  in  which,  under  the  twenty- seventh 
year  of  King  Henry  VIII,  we  read:  *'  This 
man  [Tindale]  translated  the  New  Testament 
into  English  and  first  put  it  in  print,  and 
likewise  he  translated  the  five  books  of 
Moses,  Joshua,  Judges,  Euth,  the  Books  of 
the  Kings,  and  the  Books  of  Paralipomenon, 
Nehemiah  or  the  First  of  Esdras,  the 
Prophet  Jonas,  and  no  more  of  the  Holy 


8       MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

Scriptures.''^  Tindale  probably  completed 
the  historical  books  of  the  Old  Testament, 
ending  with  II  Chronicles,  and  it  was  this 
completed  portion  which  was  afterwards 
incorporated  in  Matthew's  Bible. 

Tindale  has  himself  told  us  the  motives 
that  lay  behind  his  work  and  the  causes  that 
induced  him  to  undertake  it.  He  lays  em- 
phasis on  the  failure  of  the  clergy  as  a  teach- 
ing body.  As  a  chaplain  tutor  in  the  house 
of  one  of  the  landed  gentry,  he  met  ' '  abbots, 
deans,  archdeacons,  with  divers  other  di- 
vines," with  whom  he  disputed,  ^*  laying 
plainly  before  them  the  open  and  manifest 
places  of  Scripture."  These  theologians 
revealed  an  appalling  ignorance  of  Biblical 
commonplaces,  and  what  they  did  know  was 
obscured  by  rules  of  interpretation  that  could 
not  stand  the  light  of  a  world  on  which  the 
Eenaissance   had  dawned.^      The    sense   of 

1  See  Westcott,  History  of  the  English  Bible,  3rd  edition, 
p.  172. 

*  We  have  Independent  evidence  of  the  deplorable  igno- 
rance of  the  clergy  in  Tindale's  native  shire  in  the  sixteenth 
century.      Bishop   Hooper,    some    thirty   years   later   than 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE        9 

the  Divine  word  was  obscured  by  exposi- 
tions ^^  clean  contrary  unto  the  proc- 
ess, order,  and  meaning  of  the  text — ^which 
thing  only  moved  me  to  translate  the  New 
Testament."  ^  His  version  was  born  of  pity 
for  the  spiritual  needs  of  his  countrymen. 
To  the  charge  that  he  was  moved  to  translate 
the  Bible  in  order  to  support  the  claims  of  a 
sect,  his  own  words  are  a  sufficient  reply: 
'^  I  take  God  to  witness,''  he  says,  ^^  to  record 
to  my  conscience,  beseeching  him  that  my 
part  be  not  in  the  blood  of  Christ  if  I  wrote 
of  all  I  have  written  throughout  this  book 
aught  of  an  evil  purpose  .  .  .  or  to  stir  up 
any  false  doctrine  or  opinion  in  the  Church 
of  Christ,  or  to  be  the  author  of  any  sect, 
or  to  draw  disciples  after  me. ' '  ^  Either  this 
man  was  an  arrant  hypocrite  who  proved 

Tindale's  time,  examined  three  hundred  and  eleven  clergy- 
men in  their  theological  attainments.  Of  this  number  he 
reported  that  one  hundred  and  seventy-one  were  unable  to 
repeat  the  Ten  Commandments,  ten  could  not  say  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  twenty-seven  could  not  tell  who  was  its  author,  and 
thirty  did  not  know  where  it  was  to  be  found.  See  English 
historical  Review,  January,  1904,  p.  98. 

■•  Preface  to  the  Pentateuch.    The  quotation  is  condensed. 

'  Preface  to  New  Testament,  1534. 


10     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

loyal  to  his  hypocrisy  through  years  of  exile, 
neglect,  and  reproach  and  at  last  laid  down 
his  life  in  defence  of  his  hidden  shame,  or 
these  words  are  a  faithful  picture  of  a  sincere 
and  noble  spirit.  Common  sense  and  an 
average  knowledge  of  men  may  be  safely  left 
to  make  choice  of  these  alternatives. 

Let  us  now  inquire  as  to  Tindale's  qualifi- 
cations for  the  work.  It  is  no  exaggeration 
to  say  that  the  translation  of  the  Bible  is  the 
most  arduous  literary  task  that  any  man  can 
face.  Certain  intellectual  qualities  of  the 
highest  type  are  needed  for  the  work.  Ac- 
curate and  wide  linguistic  scholarship;  a 
first-hand  knowledge  of  Greek  and  Hebrew 
abreast  of  the  best  learning  of  the  time;  a 
literary  intuition  that  fixes  instinctively  on 
the  word  which  fits  exactly  the  thought  to  be 
conveyed;  a  genius  for  cadence,  for  rhythm, 
for  the  subtile  and  fugitive  meanings  of 
words — these  are  indispensable  prerequisites. 
Moreover,  spiritual  qualifications  are  no  less 
necessary.  ^^  The  style  is  the  man,''  is  a 
saying  true  here  as  in  the  case  of  original 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE      11 

literary  effort.  He  who  would  catch  the 
spirit  of  Holy  Writ  must  himself  be  possessed 
with  a  love  of  the  truth,  with  a  passion  for 
simplicity  and  reality.  How  stands  Tindale 
when  confronted  with  these  high  tests! 
Everywhere  in  his  writings  the  transparent 
honesty  of  the  man  leaps  out  between  the 
lines.  The  deeper  religious  spirit  generated 
by  the  Reformation  finds  in  him  a  signal  em- 
bodiment. It  was  this  new  spirit  working  on 
a  simple  and  conscientious  nature  that  en- 
abled Tindale  to  carry  to  success  his  great 
life-purpose.  Even  Sir  Thomas  More, 
his  great  literary  opponent,  bears  testimony 
to  the  reputation  Tindale  had  gained  at  the 
University.  ^  ^  He  was  well  known, ' '  he  says, 
'^  for  a  man  of  right  good  living,  studious 
and  well  learned  in  Scripture."  Unwaver- 
ing loyalty  to  what  he  conceived  to  be  the 
truth,  earnest  piety,  clearness  of  mind,  an 
Apostolic  simplicity  of  life,  are  the  qualities 
which  shine  out  in  his  life  as  history  knows 
him.  It  is  in  this  seriousness,  this  veracity 
of  soul,  stamped  on  his  work  that  we  are  to 


12     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

find  in  large  measure  the  secret  of  its  ab- 
normal vitality. 

On  the  literary  side,  we  are  struck  by  his 
mastery  of  the  English  language,  his  new 
feeling  for  English  style.  His  original  writ- 
ings, though  without  the  intellectual  large- 
ness which  characterises  the  work  of  More, 
are  yet  superior  to  it  as  pieces  of  English 
literature.  Tindale  avoids  the  elaborate 
Latinism  of  More's  style  and  has  a  greater 
sense  of  rhythm,  a  greater  aptitude  for  brief, 
sententious,  epigrammatic  speech.  This 
quality  in  no  small  degree  fitted  him  for  the 
translation  of  such  a  simple  and  loosely  con- 
structed language  as  the  Hellenistic  Greek 
of  the  New  Testament.  As  has  been  said, 
**  To  him  we  may  safely  ascribe  all  the  most 
important  qualities  of  the  translation,  the 
energy,  the  contagious  earnestness,  the  un- 
assuming dignity,  and  the  vividness  by  which 
it  holds  its  place  in  our  literature.  He  once 
for  all  in  his  version  determined  the  style 
of  the  English  Bible.'' ^    His  knowledge  of 

^  J.  H.  Gardiner,  TJie  Bible  as  English  Literature,  p.  327. 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE      13 

New  Testament  Greek  and  his  independence 
as  a  translator  have  now  been  established 
beyond  all  doubt  by  such  investigators  as 
Westcott,  Mombert,  Moulton,  Eadie,  and 
others.  Of  his  Hebrew  scholarship,  some- 
thing will  be  said  in  a  moment.  Meantime, 
that  we  may  the  better  understand  the  great- 
ness of  his  task,  a  glance  at  his  helps  and 
hindrances  is  necessary. 

For  the  Greek  he  had  the  printed  Greek  of 
the  New  Testament,  which,  up  till  its  publi- 
cation by  Erasmus,  was  accessible  only  in 
manuscripts.  The  second  and  third  editions 
appeared  in  1519  and  1522.  Tindale  studied 
the  three  editions,  but  was  especially  guided 
by  the  last.  Then  he  was  much  influenced 
by  Luther's  German  version  of  the  New 
Testament,  published  in  1522,  and  some  of 
the  happiest  renderings  in  our  English  New 
Testament  we  owe  indirectly  to  the  German 
reformer.  His  third  help  was  the  Latin 
translation  which  accompanied  the  Greek 
text  of  Erasmus.  It  was  this  Latin  render- 
ing which  held  the  first  place,  next  to  the 


14     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

Greek,  in  the  estimate  of  Tindale.  Finally, 
lie  had  recourse  to  the  Latin  Vulgate.  For 
the  Old  Testament  he  had  the  Hebrew  Bible, 
l^ve  editions  of  which  had  been  printed  be- 
tween 1488  and  1525,  Luther's  translation, 
and  the  Vulgate.  For  the  whole  Bible  he  was 
able  to  consult  Wycliffe's  translation,  the  in- 
fluence of  which,  however,  is  much  less  in  the 
Old  than  in  the  New  Testament.  It  would 
be  a  mistake,  however,  to  suppose  that  he 
depended  on  Wycliffe's  version  as  the 
groundwork  of  his  translation.  That  he  was 
familiar  with  the  manuscripts  of  Wycliffe's 
work  can  not  be  questioned.  Again  and  again 
he  takes  over  a  phrase  from  the  fourteenth 
century  translator.^  As  to  his  originality 
and  independence,  his  own  express  statement 
must  receive  full  weight.  **  I  had,''  he  says, 
*'  no  man  to  counterfeit,  neither  was  helped 
with  English  of  any  that  had  interpreted  the 
same  or  such  like  thing  in  the  Scripture 
aforetime. ' '  ^ 

1  See  Appendix,  Note  B. 

2  Epistle  to  t?ie  Reader,  New  Testament,  1525.     Any  one  can 
verify  for  himself  the  truth  of  Tindale's  claim  by  a  reference 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE      15 

On  the  other  side  must  be  counted  his 
hindrances.  To  begin  with,  the  only  text 
accessible  to  him  was  poor  and  faulty  in  the 
extreme.  The  manuscripts  from  which 
Erasmus  constructed  his  New  Testament 
were  not  merely  few  and  late  but — and  this 
was  their  real  weakness — ^belonged  to  the 
^^  Syrian  group,"  to  use  Westcott  and  Hort's 
nomenclature,  which  originated  by  a  process 
of  revision  in  the  fourth  century,  and  is  there- 
fore not  the  best  representative  text.  Hence 
many  of  his  mistakes  were  due  to  the  faulty 
Greek  which  he  had  to  work  with. 

In  the  second  place,  there  was  not  then  as 
now  an  embarrassment  of  riches  in  the  way 
of  the  mechanical  helps,  such  as  com- 
mentaries, concordances,  lexicons,  etc.  As  a 
consequence,  unintentional  mistakes  could 
not  but  happen.  Then  again,  the  science  of 
textual  criticism  was  not  yet  born.  Nobody 
discussed  variant  readings  or  balanced  nicely 
the  authority  for  this  or  that  phrase.  In- 
to the  passages  from  Wycliffe's  translation  given  in  the 
Appendix. 


16     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

accuracy  in  details  was  found  to  characterise 
a  translation  effected  on  such  an  unscientific 
basis.  Finally,  we  must  not  carry  back  into 
the  sixteenth  century  the  modern  ideal  of  a 
translator.  Tindale  too  often  neglects  the 
connecting  Greek  particles,  is  occasionally 
misled  by  the  Vulgate,  sometimes  para- 
phrases rather  than  translates,  and  once  and 
again  falls  into  positive  blunders.^ 

The  true  monument  to  Tindale 's  genius  is 
to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  nearly  four  hun- 
dred years  have  passed  away  since  he  died, 
and  yet  our  latest  version  retains  not  only 
the  greater  portion  by  far  of  his  diction,  but 
the  very  structural  mould  in  which  his  trans- 
lation was  set.  Language  is  a  living  thing, 
and  life  means  movement,  change,  progress. 
Yet  just  as  a  tree  or  plant  preserves  con- 
tinuity of  form  beneath  all  vital  processes 
and  is  ever  true  to  itself,  so  the  English  Bible 
retains  the  shape,  the  outline,  first  sketched 
by  the  master  hand.    To  take  an  illustration, 

1  See  Eadie,   The  English  Bible,  Vol.  I,  pp.  151-164,  for 
lome  of  these  blunders. 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE      17 

the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians  is  a  piece  of 
Greek  which  taxes  a  translator's  powers  to 
the  utmost;  yet  the  fact  remains  that  about 
five-eighths  of  the  whole  are  retained  in  the 
Eevision  from  Tindale's  translation.  It  is  to 
him  we  owe  in  a  large  measure  those  winged 
words  and  verbal  felicities  that  have  passed 
into  the  life-blood  of  our  higher  speech,  that 
diction  at  once  majestic  and  tender,  elevated 
and  simple,  which  has  won  the  admiration  of 
a  Faber  and  a  Carlyle,  of  a  Newman  and  a 
Matthew  Arnold,  and  which  has  become  the 
current  coin  of  religious  speech.  Space  will 
permit  but  a  few  examples  of  what  lies  on 
every  page  of  the  New  Testament.  ^*  Ye 
cannot  serve  God  and  mammon. "  ^  ^  *  Con- 
sider the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they  grow.''  ^ 
' '  Wide  is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way,  that 
leadeth  to  destruction"^  (suggested  by 
Wycliffe).  *'  Where  two  or  three  are  gath- 
ered together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  them."  *  *'  He  came  to  himself."  ^ 
*^  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in  thy 

1  Matt.  vl.  24.  3  Matt.  vii.  13.  «  Luke  xv.  17. 

2  Matt,  vi.  38.  *  Matt,  xviii.  20. 


18     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

sight.''  ^  '*  A  prophet  hath  no  honour  in  his 
own  country. "2  ''In  my  Father's  house 
are  many  mansions"^  (suggested  by  the 
Vulgate).  ''  A  chosen  vessel."*  ''  In  him 
we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being. ' '  ^ 
* '  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive. ' '  * 
* '  Let  us  do  evil,  that  good  may  come. ' '  ^ 
*'  There  is  no  fear  of  God  before  their 
eyes."^  ''  The  Spirit  of  adoption,  whereby 
we  cry,  Abba,  Father."*  ''  When  I  was  a 
child,  I  spake  as  a  child. "^^  ''The  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ."  ^^  "The  love 
of  Christ  which  [love]  passeth  knowledge."  ^^ 
"  Turned  to  flight  the  armies  of  the 
aliens. "  ^^  "  The  tongue  can  no  man 
tame."^*  "  Out  of  darkness  into  his  mar- 
vellous light. "  ^^  "  Who  did  no  sin,  neither 
was  guile  found  in  his  mouth. "  ^^  "  The 
Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  your  souls."  ^^ 
Not  the  least  impressive  element  in  the 

1  Luke  XV.  21.  '  Rom.  iii.  8.  ^^  Heb.  xi.  34. 

2  John  iv.  44.  ^  Rom.  iii.  18.  ^"^  James  iii.  8. 

3  John  xiv.  2.  9  Rom.  viii.  15.         ^'  I.  Pet.  ii.9. 

^  Acts  ix.  15.  10 1.  Cor.  xiii.  11.       i^  j  pet.  ii.  22 

'  Acts  xvii.  28.         "  Eph.  iii.  8.  ^'  I.  Pet.  ii.  25. 

s  Acts  XX.  35.  12  Eph.  iii.  19. 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE      19 

Eevisers'  debt  to  Tindale  is  the  number  of 
places  where  they  have  gone  back  to  render- 
ings of  his  that  had  been  excluded  from  the 
Authorised  Version.  A  striking  illustration 
is  found  in  St.  Paul's  glorious  hymn  to 
Love,^  which  for  the  Apostle  was  no  abstract 
virtue,  but  had  taken  to  itself  hands  and  feet 
in  the  person  of  the  Incarnate  Son  of  God. 
Our  Eevisers  displace  the  narrow  and  now 
misleading  word  '^  charity  "  by  ^'  love  '' — 
the  expression  which  alone  had  seemed 
adequate  to  Tindale.  Other  examples  may 
be  seen  in  single  words  or  brief  phrases  that 
yet  affect  the  sense  materially.  Thus,  the 
expressions  italicised  in  the  following  are 
restored  from  his  text:  '^  Ye  shall  therefore 
[R.V.  therefore  shall]  be  perfect.''^  *' He 
that  ivas  soivn. '^^  ^'  When  the  wine  failed. ' '  * 
*^  Except  a  man  be  born  anew/'^  ^^  One 
flock,  one  shepherd. '^  ^  ''  Believe  in  God/'  ^ 
instead  of,  ^^  Ye  believe  in  God.''  **  In  the 
sight  of  God."  ^    ^'  In  the  name  of  Jesus."  ® 

^  Cor.  xiii.  *  John  ii.  3.        ''  John  xiv.  1. 

2  Matt.  V.  48.  5  John  iii.  3.       » II  Cor.  xii.  19. 

3  Matt.  xiii.  19,  20,  22.      «  John  x.  16.       «  Phil.  ii.  10. 


20     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

''It  he  withdraw  himself.''^  ^' Shutteth 
up  his  compassion  from  him. ' '  ^ 

In  some  passages,  the  Eevisers  have  re- 
stored, not  indeed  Tindale's  actual  words, 
but  the  substance  of  his  renderings.^  A  good 
example  is  found  in  Jude,  verse  12,  where 
Tindale  had  rendered  ''  trees  without  fruit 
at  gathering  time  *' — a  rendering  for  which 
the  Authorised  Version  substituted,  wrongly, 
''  trees  whose  fruit  withereth,  without  fruit." 
The  Revisers  substantially  restore  Tindale  ^s 
translation — ''  autumn  trees  without  fruit." 

Let  us  now  return  to  Tindale 's  work  in  the 
Old  Testament.  It  has  been  almost  a  tradi- 
tion among  writers  who  have  not  made  any 
personal  investigation  of  the  matter  to  sup- 
pose that  while  Tindale  may  have  been  a 
competent  Greek  scholar,  his  qualifications 
for  translating  the  Old  Testament  were  very 

iHeb.  X.  37.  sjohniii.  17. 

3  For  other  illustrations  compare  Mark  iv.  13,  vi.  14,  xi.  17  ; 
John  xii.  13,  xv.  20  ;  Acts  ii.  23,  xx.  10,  xxiii.  27 ;  Romans 
i.  18  ;  I  Thes.  iv.  14  ;  II  Thes.  i.  10,  ii.  8  ;  Heb.  xi.  13.  Com- 
pare also  II  Cor.  iii.  5,  6,  where  the  connection  in  the  Greek 
is  brought  out  by  Tindale  in  a  way  similar  to  that  followed  by 
the  Revisers. 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE      21 

meagre.  This  idea  has  been  recently  re- 
peated by  a  distinguished  Eoman  Catholic 
scholar/  Now  it  might  be  sufficient  to  reply 
on  general  grounds  that  if  Tindale  is,  as  even 
his  critics  acknowledge,  the  real  Father  of 
the  English  Bible,  and  if  the  substance  of  his 
translation  in  the  Old  Testament  is  retained 
in  our  latest  Revision,  on  which  the  ablest 
Hebraists  of  our  times  were  engaged,  it  fol- 
lows that  he  cannot  have  been  so  innocent 
of  Hebrew  as  some  suppose.  We  may  admit 
that  there  was  but  small  opportunity  for  him 
to  acquire  the  language  during  his  stay  in 
England;  but  his  long  sojourn  in  Germany, 
his  known  contact  with  the  circle  of  the  Ger- 
man reformers,  some  of  whom  were  enthu- 
siasts in  Old  Testament  studies,  gave  him 
abundant  opportunity  to  get  a  good  working 
knowledge  of  the  subject.    Moreover,  literary 

*  Rev.  Prof.  Francis  E.  Gigot,  in  his  otherwise  scholarly- 
book,  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Scriptures,  p. 
359,  says  :  "  William  Tyndale,  a  Franciscan  priest,  who,  hav- 
ing turned  out  a  Protestant,  undertook  to  publish  a  translation 
of  the  whole  Bible  from  the  original  text,  though  he  had 
but  little  knowledge  of  Hebrew. "  There  are  several  inac- 
curacies in  this  statement. 


22     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

helps  in  his  undertaking  were  not  wanting. 
In  1506,  Reuchlin,  who  introduced  the  study 
of  Hebrew  into  Germany,  published  his 
Rudiments  of  the  Hebrew  Language,  and 
this  was  followed  by  other  grammatical  and 
lexical  works  by  the  disciples  of  Reuchlin — 
Sebastian  Munster,  Sanctes  Pagninus,  Mat- 
thew Aurigallus,  and  others.  Moreover, 
^ve  Hebrew  Bibles  had  been  printed  between 
1488  and  1530,  and  the  famous  Complutentian 
Polyglott  which  contained  the  Septuagint, 
appeared  in  1514.  So  far,  then,  we  can  say 
that  he  had  both  opportunity  and  help  avail- 
able for  the  work  of  Old  Testament  transla- 
tion. Then  we  have  an  implied  claim  to  the 
knowledge  of  Hebrew  scattered  throughout 
his  various  writings.  In  his  answer  to  More, 
he  speaks  of  the  Hebrew  text  as  ^^  of  most 
need  to  be  known,"  implying  his  acquaint- 
ance with  it.  In  his  Epistle  to  the  Reader 
prefixed  to  his  Revised  New  Testament  of 
1534,  he  discourses  on  the  genius  of  the 
Hebrew  language  in  a  way  possible  only  to 
one  who  had  made  a  study  of  it.    He  knows. 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE      23 

for  example,  that  ^'  in  Hebrew  the  preter- 
perfect  tense  and  present  tense  is  often  both 
one,  and  the  future  tense  is  the  optative 
mood,  and  the  future  tense  often  the  impera- 
tive mood  in  the  active  voice,  and. in  the  pas- 
sive ever,  and  likewise  person  for  person, 
number  for  number,  and  an  interrogation  for 
a  conditional,  and  such  like  is  with  the 
Hebrews  a  common  usage.''  There  is  still 
extant  an  original  letter,  addressed  by  Tin- 
dale  in  the  winter  of  1535,  while  a  prisoner 
at  Vilvorde,  to  the  Governor  of  Vilvorde 
Castle,  in  which  he  makes  the  following 
pathetic  petition:  '^  But  above  all  I  entreat 
and  beseech  your  clemency  to  be  urgent  with 
the  Procureur  that  he  may  kindly  permit  me 
to  have  my  Hebrew  Bible,  Hebrew  grammar, 
and  Hebrew  dictionary,  that  I  may  spend  my 
time  with  that  study."  ^ 

But  actual  proof  of  Tindale's  Hebrew 
scholarship  has  now  been  made.  It  has  been 
shown  recently  by  a  comparison  of  his  text 

^  For  a  facsimile  of  this  letter,  see  Demaus,  William  Tin- 
dale,  p.  536. 


24     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

with  the  Vulgate,  the  Septuagint,  the 
Hebrew,  and  with  Wycliffe's  and  Luther's 
translations,  that  though  he  did  not  make  a 
literal  unaided  version  from  the  Hebrew,  as 
if  no  other  translation  existed,  he  yet  used 
his  helps  with  scholarly  independence,  and 
in  some  places  goes  against  the  preceding 
versions,  relying  solely  on  his  own  judgment/ 
The  conclusion  arrived  at  is  *^  that  Tindale, 
in  translating  his  Pentateuch,  kept  constantly 
before  him  the  Hebrew  text  and  Luther's 
version,  with  the  Septuagint  and  Vulgate 
within  easy  reach,  and  fragments  of  the 
Middle  English  archaisms  running  through 
his  mind  as  he  worked ;  that  he  probably  made 
his  first  draft  from  the  German,  checking  it 
constantly  by  the  Hebrew  and  departing 
from  it  in  nearly  every  case  where  he  detected 
Luther  in  an  evasion;  that  he  carried  into 
this  work  the  same  principle  already  estab- 
lished in  his  New  Testament,  of  making  an 

^  See  J.  R.  Slater,  The  Sources  of  Tindale' s  Version  of  the 
Pentateuch,  a  Dissertation  for  the  Degree  of  Doctor  ofPhiloso- 
j)hy,  Chicago,  1906. 


FATHER  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE      25 

idiomatic  English  work  in  the  language  of 
the  common  people  rather  than  of  the 
learned;  transferring  such  Semitic  idioms  as 
approved  themselves  to  him  as  easily  under- 
stood and  more  vigorous  than  paraphrase.''  ^ 
Many  of  the  Hebrew  idioms  which  Tindale 
took  over  have  become  the  commonplaces  of 
religious  speech  and  are  retained  in  the 
Revised  Version.  A  few  may  here  be  cited : 
'^  To  die  the  death'';  ''the  Lord's  an- 
ointed " ;  ' '  the  gate  of  heaven  " ;  ' '  thorn 
in  the  side  "  ; ''  a  man  after  his  own  heart  "; 
' '  the  living  God  " ;  ' '  sick  unto  death  ' ' ; 
' '  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  " ;  ' '  to  fall 
by  the  sword  ";  ''  the  horn  of  my  salva- 
tion ";  ''  smote  them  hip  and  thigh";  ''  as 
the  Lord  liveth  " ;  ' '  in  the  beauty  of  holi- 
ness "  (R.V.  margin);  ''the  blast  of  thy 
nostrils  ";  "  uncircumcised  lips  ";  "  to  seek 
his  face  ";  "  sacrifices  of  righteousness  "; 
"  strengthen  the  heart  ";  "  plagued  with 
plagues  ";  "  old  and  full  of  days  ";  "  men 
of  renown  " ;  "  integrity  of  my  heart  " ;  "  in- 

^  Ibid.,  p.  54. 


26      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

nocency  of  my  hands  " ;  ^  ^  greatness  of  thine 
excellency  ";  '^  greatness  of  thine  arm." 
^^  He  felt,  by  a  happy  instinct,"  remarks 
Westcott,  ^^  the  potential  affinity  between 
Hebrew  and  English  idioms,  and  enriched  our 
language  and  thought  forever  with  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  Semitic  mind."^  Taking 
almost  at  random  two  passages,  Deuteronomy 
vi.  4-9,  and  Numbers  xvi.  31-35,  we  find  that 
Tindale  translates  the  former  passage  with 
one  hundred  and  twelve  words,  of  which  the 
Eevised  Version  retains  ninety-three,  and 
the  latter  passage  with  one  hundred  and  six- 
teen words,  of  which  ninety-three  are  also 
retained.  The  more  his  work  is  studied,  the 
more  is  its  originality  apparent,  and  it  is  this 
originality  that  to  a  considerable  extent  has 
created  the  antique  and  dignified  cast  of 
sentences  which  lifts  the  Bible  out  of  the 
ruck  of  ordinary  literature  and  makes  it  a 
book  apart. 

1  History  of  the  English  Bible,  p.  158. 


CHAPTEE  II 

THE   CONTRIBUTIOIT    OF   MILES   COVERDALE 

While  Tindale  was  awaiting  execution  in 
Vilvorde  Castle,  a  change  was  passing  over 
the  authorities  in  England.  Henry's  ex- 
ternal and  ecclesiastical  reformation  included 
an  authorised  English  translation  of  the 
Scriptures.  Owing  to  Tindale 's  Lutheran 
sympathies,  his  work  had  from  the  first  been 
discredited  in  the  eyes  of  the  King,  who  re- 
garded Luther  as  a  blasphemous  heresiarch, 
and  hated  all  his  doings  with  a  perfect  hatred. 
But  though  he  prohibited  Tindale 's  transla- 
tion, he  promised  at  the  same  time  a  properly 
accredited  version.  This  was  in  1530.  In 
1534  the  King  was  reminded  of  his  promise 
by  a  petition  from  Convocation,  as  he  had 
been  reminded  in  1530  by  a  letter  ascribed, 
but  without  any  historical  warrant,  to  Hugh 
Latimer. 

27 


28     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

His  astute  political  agent,  Cromwell,  read 
aright  the  signs  of  the  times,  took  a  quiet 
scholar  named  Miles  Coverdale  into  his  pay, 
and  set  him  to  the  work  of  Biblical  transla- 
tion.^ Mr.  Gairdner  holds  that  the  Bishops 
in  1534  set  about  translating  the  New  Testa- 
ment. We  know  as  a  matter  of  fact  that 
Bishop  Gardiner  translated  St.  Luke  and  St. 
John.  It  would  appear  that  Cromwell  had 
taken  an  old  translation  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, divided  it  into  nine  or  ten  parts,  and 
sent  them  to  the  ^^  best  learned  bishops,''  to 
be  corrected.^  It  is  possible  that  this  lost 
translation  may  turn  up  some  day.^ 

We  could  wish  for  more  knowledge  of 
Coverdale 's  personality  than  history  affords, 
for  he  stands  second  only  to  Tindale  in  the 
line  of  men  who  have  consecrated  their  lives 
and  talents  to  the  work  of  translating  the 
Bible.     Only  within  recent  years  has  justice 


'^Remains  of  ComrdaU,  p.  490, 

2  Strype,  Cranmer,  I,  48-49. 

3  See  Gairdner,  Lollardy  and  the  Reformation  in  England^ 
Vol.  II,  p.  268. 


MILES  COYERDALE  29 

been  done  to  his  fine  delicacy,  the  tender 
beanty  of  his  phrases,  the  musical  charm  of 
his  renderings.  A  recent  writer  pays  a  just 
tribute  to  his  literary  aptitudes.  ''  It  is/ '  he 
says,  ^^  to  the  melodiousness  of  his  phrasing, 
to  his  mastery  over  what  may  be  described 
as  the  literary  semi-tone,  to  his  innumerable 
dexterities  and  felicitous  turns  of  expression, 
that  we  owe  more  probably  than  we  most  of 
us  recognise  of  that  strangely  moving  influ- 
ence which  seems  ever  to  be  welling  up  from 
the  perennial  springs  of  the  English  Bible.''  ^ 
We  owe  Coverdale  another  debt  of  gratitude. 
Words  sanctioned  by  long  ecclesiastical 
usage,  such  as  ^'  confess,''  ''  church," 
"  grace,"  ''  contrite,"  which  had  been  chal- 
lenged by  Tindale,  owing  to  the  popular  mis- 
use of  them,  were  restored  to  the  text  by 
Coverdale,  whose  irenical  spirit  loved  to 
mingle  the  old  with  the  new.  He  saw  these 
words  laden,  as  it  were,  with  the  emotion,  the 
thought,  the  sacred  associations,  of  centuries, 
and  he  could  not  let  them  go. 

^  Hoare,  The  Evolution  of  the  English  Bible,  p.  178. 


30      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

Coverdale  was  born  in  1488,  studied  at 
Cambridge,  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood 
in  1514,  and  a  little  later  became  an 
Angnstinian  friar.  In  some  way  or  other, 
he  attracted  the  notice  of  Cromwell.  An 
undated  letter  of  his,  written  to  the  great 
minister,  is  still  extant,  in  which  he  speaks 
with  enthusiasm  of  his  Biblical  studies. 
About  1523,  he  went  over  to  the  side  of  the 
Eeformation  and  the  new  learning.  Some 
time  later  he  threw  aside  the  friar's  habit  and 
assumed  that  of  a  secular  priest.  Seeking 
safety  on  the  Continent,  there  is  reason  to 
believe  that  he  met  Tindale  at  Hamburg  in 
1529,  and  that  for  the  next  five  years  or  so  he 
was  engaged  in  the  translation  of  the  Bible, 
which  appeared  in  1535.  The  University  of 
Tiibingen  made  him  a  Doctor  of  Divinity,  and 
in  1551  he  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Exeter, 
only,  however,  to  be  deprived  of  his  see  on  the 
accession  of  Mary.  On  Elizabeth's  accession 
he  returned  to  England,  but  owing  to  his  ob- 
jections to  vestments  and  legal  church  cere- 
monies he  could  not  resume  his  bishopric. 


MILES  COVERDALE  31 

Later  he  became  Vicar  of  St.  Magnus  Church, 
London,  dying  there  in  1568. 

His  Bible  was  put  through  the  press 
abroad,  and  appeared  in  England  in  1536, 
with  a  dedication  to  the  King.  This  was  the 
first  complete  printed  English  Bible.  It  dif- 
fers from  Tindale's  in  being  only  a  secondary 
version  ^*  made  out  of  five  sundry  interpre- 
ters," these  being,  as  is  now  generally  agreed, 
the  Swiss-German,  or  Ziirich  version  (1524- 
1529),  the  Latin  version  of  Sanctes  Pagninus 
(1528),  the  Vulgate,  Luther's  German  Bible, 
and  Tindale's  translation.  With  singular 
modesty  and  ability,  he  sets  forth  the  reasons 
for  his  undertaking  the  work  of  translation. 
^^  Considering,"  he  says,  ''  how  excellent 
knowledge  and  learning  an  interpreter  of 
scripture  ought  to  have  in  the  tongues,  and 
pondering  also  mine  own  insufficiency  there- 
in, and  how  weak  I  am  to  perform  the  office 
of  a  translator,  I  was  the  more  loath  to  med- 
dle with  this  work.  Notwithstanding,  when  I 
considered  how  great  pity  it  was  that  we 
should  want  it  so  long  and  called  to  my 


32      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

remembrance  the  adversity  of  them  which 
were  not  only  of  ripe  knowledge,  but  would 
also  with  all  their  hearts  have  performed  that 
they  began  if  they  had  not  had  impediment ;  ^ 
considering,  I  say,  that  by  reason  of  their  ad- 
versity, it  could  not  so  soon  have  been 
brought  to  an  end  as  our  most  prosperous  na- 
tion would  fain  have  had  it,  these  and  other 
reasonable  causes  considered,  I  was  the  more 
bold  to  take  it  in  hand."  Does  any  one  ob- 
ject that  the  multiplication  of  translations  of 
the  Bible  leads  to  schisms  and  to  confusion! 
Coverdale  replies :  *  *  That  is  not  so ;  for  it 
was  never  better  with  the  congregation  of 
God  than  when  every  church  almost  had  the 
Bible  of  a  sundry  translation.  Among  the 
Greeks,  had  not  Origen  a  special  translation? 
Had  not  Vulgarius  one  peculiar,  and  likewise 
Chrysostom?  Besides  the  seventy  interpre- 
ters, is  there  not  the  translation  of  Aquila, 
of  Theodotion,  of  Symmachus,  and  of  sundry 
other?     Again  among  the  Latin  men,  thou 

*  The  allusion  is  to  Tindale,  who  at  this  time  was  a 
prisoner. 


MILES  COVERDALE  33 

findest  that  every  one  almost  used  a  special 
and  sundry  translation/'  He  defends  the 
translation  of  the  same  Greek  and  Hebrew 
words  by  different  English  expressions  on 
the  ground  that  there  is  no  real  diversity  be- 
tween these  different  renderings.  Hence  he 
translates  the  same  Greek  word  in  one  place 
by  the  word  ^  ^  penance  ' '  and  in  another  place 
by  the  word  "  repentance. '^  ^ 

It  is  to  Coverdale's  literary  instinct  that 
the  Eevised  Version  is  indebted  for  some  of 
those  renderings  whose  appealing  power  can 
never  be  lost;  as  for  example:  *^  There  will 
the  eagles  be  gathered  together  "  [Tindale: 
*' Even  thither  will  the  eagles  resort''];^ 
*'  Enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  "  [Tin- 
dale:  *^  Enter  in  into  thy  Master's  joy  "] ;  ^ 
^'  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world  " 
[Tindale:  '^  Crucified  as  touching  me  and  I 
as  concerning  the  world  "];^  ^'  None  of  us 
liveth  to  himself,  and  none  dieth  to  himself  " 
[Tindale:  **  For  none  of  us  liveth  his  own 

^  See  Prologue  to  Coverdale's  Bible.     *  Matt.  xxv.  21. 
*  Matt.  xxiv.   28.  *  Gal,  vi.   14. 


34      MAKING  OP  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

servant:  neither  doth  anyone  of  ns  die  his 
own  servant  '']  ;  ^  '^  Death  is  swallowed  up  in 
victory  ''  [Tindale:  ^'  Death  is  consumed  into 
victory''];  2  *^  The  world  passeth  away" 
[Tindale:  '^  The  world  vanisheth  away  "].^ 

In  1538,  Coverdale  published  a  Latin-Eng- 
lish New  Testament  in  which  the  Vulgate  and 
an  English  translation  were  set  side  by  side. 
Of  this  book  three  editions  appeared,  one 
only,  however,  with  the  approval  of  Cover- 
dale.  It  has  been  discovered  that  the  Ehe- 
mish  translators  consulted  this  New  Testa- 
ment (doubtless  because  of  their  reverence 
for  the  Vulgate)  and  took  over  from  it  many 
felicitous  and  harmonious  turns  of  ex- 
pression. The  Eevised  Version  has  been 
made  heir  to  some  of  these.  For  example,  in 
Eomans  viii.  3,  the  Rhemists  improve  on 
their  predecessors  by  the  rendering,  ^^  in  that 
it  was  weakened  through  the  flesh,"  but  they 
owe  the  improvement  to  Coverdale 's  Dig- 
lott.  * 

*  Rom.  xiv.    7.         ="  I.  Cor.  xv.  54.       ^  I.  John  ii.   17. 

*  See  Carleton,  Part  of  Rheims  in  the  Making  of  the 
English  Bible,  pp.  7,  8. 


MILES  COVERDALE  35 

At  this  point  it  is  necessary  to  notice  the 
appearance  of  another  Bible.  This  is  the  real 
editio  princeps  of  the  English  Bible.  It  ar- 
rived in  England  in  1537,  bearing  the  name  of 
Thomas  Matthew,  and  the  English  title-page 
bore  the  words,  ^^  set  forth  with  the  King's 
most  gracious  license."  It  is  a  compilation 
consisting  of  Tindale's  revised  New  Testa- 
ment ^  and  Pentateuch,  in  addition  to  which 
was  his  translation  left  in  manuscript  con- 
taining the  books  of  Joshua  to  II  Chronicles, 
inclusive.  This  manuscript  material,  as  has 
been  said,  fell  into  the  hands  of  John  Rogers, 
the  first  to  suffer  death  for  the  new  opinions 
in  the  reign  of  Mary.  The  parts  left  un- 
translated by  Tindale  were  taken  from  Cover- 
dale 's  Bible.  It  is  obvious  that  Matthew's 
text  has  no  claim  to  originality,  but  its  his- 
torical importance  lies  in  the  fact  that  it 
represents  the  basal  text  of  our  Revised  Ver- 
sion. It  was  Matthew's  text  which  at  Crom- 
well's instigation  Coverdale  took  as  his  basis 
for  a  new  revision.     This  work,  begun  in 

1  1535,    1534   edit. 


36      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

Paris  in  1538,  but  interrupted  by  the  hostile 
action  of  the  Inquisition,  was  transferred  to 
England,  and  issued  in  April,  1539,  as  the 
first  edition  of  a  Bible  which  from  its  size 
came  to  be  known  as  the  **  Great  Bible.'' 
Seven  editions  of  it  were  issued  1539-1541. 
Of  this  series,  the  fourth  edition,  by  a  curious 
irony,  bore  the  name  of  Tunstall,  Bishop  of 
Durham,  the  prelate  who  refused  to  counte- 
nance Tindale  or  his  work. 

The  helps  which  Coverdale  used  for  his  re- 
vision of  the  Old  Testament  were  Sebastian 
Munster's  Latin  translation  and  his  own 
translation  as  given  in  his  Bible  of  1535.  In 
the  New  Testament  he  revises  Tindale 's  text 
with  the  help  of  Erasmus's  Latin  translation 
and  his  own  version  of  1535. 

The  Great  Bible  presents  some  of  the  ren- 
derings of  Coverdale 's  Bible  in  a  finished 
form,  and  these  have  enriched  our  latest  ver- 
sion. As  illustrations  take,  for  example: 
**  His  eyelids  try  the  children  of  men";^ 
**  Deliver   my    soul    from    the    sword;    my 

^Ps.   xi.  4. 


MILES  COVERDALE  Zl 

darling  from  the  power  of  the  dog  ";*  **  Yea, 
though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou 
art  with  me ;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  com- 
fort me  '';^  ^'  My  tongue  is  the  pen  of  a 
ready  writer'';"  '^  [truth]  in  the  inward 
parts";*  ^^  Cast  me  not  away  from  thy 
presence;  and  take  not  thy  holy  spirit  from 
me  " ;  ^  ^  ^  like  a  lodge  in  a  garden  of  cucum- 
bers "; «  ^^  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  ";  ^ 
^^  The  fathers  have  eaten  sour  grapes,  and 
the  children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge  '' ;  ^  **  But 
unto  you  that  fear  my  name  shall  the  Sun  of 
righteousness  arise. ' '  ^ 

Eeaders  familiar  with  the  Prayer  Book 
Psalter  need  no  quotations  to  prove  Cover- 
dale's  marvellous  ear  for  sound  and  appre- 
ciation of  the  poetic  element  in  language. 
This  version  is  the  permanent  monument  to 
his  genius.  When  we  come  to  his  treatment 
of  Tindale's  work,  we  find  touches  which, 


1  Ps.  xxii.  20. 

*  Ps.  li.  11 

'  Isa.  liii.  5. 

2  Ps.  xxiii.  4. 

5  Isa.  i.  8. 

'  Jer.  xxxi.  29. 

3  Ps.  xlv.  1. 

«  Ps.  li.  6. 

9  Mai.  iv.  2. 

38      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

though  apparently  slight,  are  immense  im- 
provements on  the  original  translator 's  work. 
As  illustrations,  take  the  following:  ^'  Till 
heaven  and  earth  pass  away  " ;  ^  ^  ^  but  con- 
siderest  not  the  beam  that  is  in  thine  own 
eye  " ;  ^  '^  But  while  men  slept,  his  enemy 
came'';^  ^^  Friend,  how  earnest  thou  in 
hither '\'^  '^  Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us'';^ 
*^  Fathers,  provoke  not  your  children'';^ 
'*  God  cannot  he  tempted  with  evil  ^';^  ^^  the 
Father  of  lights/'' 

The  ecclesiastical  reaction  which  marked 
the  end  of  Henry's  reign  now  set  in,  and  no 
new  translation  was  attempted  for  about 
twenty  years.  Various  restrictions  were 
placed  upon  popular  Bible  reading.  No 
*^  artisan,  labourer,  apprentice,  or  servant  '' 
was  permitted  to  enjoy  the  privilege  on  pain 
of  imprisonment.  The  confusions  of  the 
royal  mind  were  reflected  in  paradoxical  en- 
actments which  forbade  Tindale  's  and  Cover- 

iMatt.    V.    18.        3  Matt.  xiii.  25.  s  Matt.    xxv.    11. 
2  Matt.    vii.    3.      *  Matt.    xxii.    12.        «  Col.  iii.  21. 

'  James  i.  13  (Great  Bible  May,  Nov.,  1540). 
« James  i.  17. 


MILES  COVERDALE  39 

dale's  versions,  yet  gave  free  course  to  the 
Great  Bible,  in  which  these  were  substantially 
preserved/ 

^  A  translation  of  the  Bible  marked  by  individual 
peculiarities  appeared  in  1539  bearing  the  name  of  Richard 
Taverner,  a  lawyer  of  the  Inner  Temple.  His  work  has  had 
no  great  influence  on  our  received  English  text.  It  has 
had,  however,  a  very  distinct  influence  on  the  Rhemish 
Version.  No  doubt  the  common  link  between  some  of 
Taverner's  renderings  and  those  of  the  Rhemists  is  the 
Vulgate;  still  there  can  be  no  question  that  the  Rhemists 
had  Taverner's  work  before  them.  In  this  way,  some  of  his 
idiomatic  and  vigorous  renderings  have  come  into  our 
English  Bible.  Taverner's  edition  was  a  revision  of  Mat- 
thew's   text. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  CONTRIBUTION  OF  THE  GENEVAN  VERSION 

Henry  died  in  the  midst  of  the  Catholic  re- 
action, and  Edward  VI.  came  to  the  throne 
in  1547.  The  pendulum  now  swung  to  the 
Reformed  side.  Shortly  after  his  accession, 
all  restraints  on  the  use  of  the  Bible  were 
removed.  An  injunction  was  issued  calling 
upon  all  clergymen  to  set  up  in  some  con- 
venient place  within  the  church  ^*  one  book 
of  the  whole  Bible  of  the  largest  volume  in 
English  "  and  within  a  year  ^*  the  para- 
phrase of  Erasmus  also  in  English  upon  the 
Gospels."^  Thus  the  Great  Bible  was  re- 
stored to  place  and  honour. 

On  his  death  and  the  accession  of  Mary, 
the  hopes  of  the  anti-Reformation  party  re- 
vived.   To  her  fanatical,  if  thoroughly  con- 

^  Cardwell,  Doc.  Ann.,  I,  2,  p.  9. 
40 


THE  GENEVAN  VERSION  41 

scientlous  spirit,  Henry's  policy  of  religious 
harmony  with  yet  ecclesiastical  independence 
of  the  Eoman  See  appeared  utterly  unintel- 
ligible. The  public  use  of  the  Bible  was  once 
more  proscribed,  and  its  champions  fled  for 
refuge  to  the  Continent.  Here  a  number 
more  radical  than  the  rest  took  refuge  in 
Geneva,  the  great  stronghold  of  the  new 
movement  and  the  home  of  Beza  and  Calvin ; 
and  here  they  produced  a  version  which, 
though  not  in  the  direct  line  of  descent,  has 
left  a  great  mark  through  succeeding  ver- 
sions on  our  latest  text.  The  G-enevan  Ver- 
sion is  in  the  main  the  work  of  three  men, 
William  Whittingham,  Anthony  Gilby,  and 
Thomas  Sampson.  All  three  were  university 
scholars. 

William  Whittingham  ^  had  been  Fellow  of 
All  Souls,  Oxford.  He  had  also  studied  at 
Orleans  and  Paris  and  had  visited  some  of 
the  German  universities.  During  his  travels, 
he  had  come  into  contact  with  the  Calvinistio 
Eeformers  and  had  thrown  in  his  lot  with 

^National  Diet,  of  Biog. 


42      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

them.  He  succeeded  John  Knox  as  Minister 
to  the  English  Congregation  in  Geneva  in 
1559.  Returning  to  England  some  time  after 
Elizabeth's  accession,  he  was  appointed 
Chaplain  to  Dudley,  Earl  of  Warwick,  and 
was  present  at  the  siege  of  Havre,  where 
^*  his  religious  zeal  and  other  services  of  a 
more  warlike  character  won  him  general 
praise.''  In  spite  of  his  extreme  Protestant- 
ism, he  was  made  Dean  of  Durham  in  1563. 
While  in  Geneva,  he  published  a  version  of 
the  New  Testament  (1557),  which  was  based 
on  Tindale.  It  was  a  distinct  advance  in 
form  on  any  version  that  had  preceded  it. 
It  was  the  first  English  New  Testament 
printed  in  Roman  type,  and  the  first  to  adopt 
the  division  into  verses  which  was  made  by 
Stephens  in  his  Greek  Testament  of  1551. 
Whittingham  no  doubt  borrowed  this  device 
from  a  French  Bible  revised  by  Calvin, 
which  appeared  at  Geneva  in  1556  and  which 
is  the  first  translation  of  the  entire  Bible  into 
a  modern  language  in  which  the  chapters  are 
divided  into  verses  and  in  which  each  verse 


THE  GENEVAN  VERSION  43 

has  prefixed  to  it  its  number  in  Arabic 
figures/ 

Anthony  Gilby^  was  a  graduate  of  Cam- 
bridge University  and  was  noted  as  a  great 
controversialist  on  the  Reformed  side.  On 
his  return  from  Geneva,  whither  he  had  gone 
into  exile  on  the  accession  of  Mary,  he  was 
appointed  to  the  living  of  Ashby  in  Leices- 
tershire, where  it  is  said  that  ^^  he  was  re- 
spected for  his  godly  life  and  learning  ''  un- 
til his  death  in  1585.  Gilby  came  into  con- 
flict once  and  again  with  the  ecclesiastical 
authorities  because  of  his  opposition  to  the 
legal  ceremonies  of  the  Church.  He  showed 
his  scholarship  in  various  theological  trea- 
tises and  in  original  commentaries  on  Micah 
and  Malachi. 

Thomas  Sampson^  was  also  a  Cambridge 
man,  who  studied  law  for  a  time  in  London. 
He  became  a  Protestant  and  an  enthusiastic 
Calvinist.    On  his  return  from  his  Genevan 

1 A  French   New    Testament  containing  the  same  verse 
division  was  published  in  Geneva  in  1553. 
2  National  Diet,  of  Biog. 


44      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

exile,  he  was  made  Canon  of  Durham  in  1560 
and  Dean  of  Christ  Church  in  1561.  Most  of 
his  life  was  spent  in  acrimonious  theological 
controversy,  and  for  a  time  he  felt  the  re- 
straining hand  of  Elizabeth,  who  issued  a 
special  order  for  his  imprisonment. 

These  scholars,  with  the  help  of  Coverdale 
and  Knox,  issued  the  complete  Bible  in  1560, 
henceforth  to  be  known  as  the  ^^  Genevan 
Version.''  It  was  heralded  by  a  separate 
edition  of  the  Book  of  Psalms,  published  in 
1559  and  dedicated  to  Queen  Elizabeth  *^  as 
a  special  token  of  their  service  and  good- will 
till  the  rest  of  the  Bible,  which  was  in  good 
readiness,  should  be  accomplished  and  pre- 
sented.'' The  basis  of  the  Genevan  Version 
in  the  Old  Testament  was  the  Great  Bible, 
which  was  carefully  compared  with  the  He- 
brew, and  in  the  New  Testament,  Whitting- 
ham's  version  (which  was  itself  a  revision  of 
Tindale's  last  revision),  revised  by  the  help 
of  Beza's  Latin  version  and  of  the  Huguenot 
Bible  edited  by  Calvin.  The  time  occupied  in 
the  work  of  revision  was  **  two  years  and 


THE  GENEVAN  VERSION  46 

more,  day  and  night."  ^  '^  It  was/'  says 
Edgar,  ^^  the  sweet  fruit  of  suffering,  and 
it  contained  notes  unmistakably  evangelical, 
sublimely  predestinarian,  conspicuously  anti- 
papal,  and  slyly  democratic. ' '  ^  Unquestion- 
ably, of  all  the  versions  between  Tindale's 
and  the  Authorised,  this  is  the  most  interest- 
ing and  most  worthy  of  study.  It  marked 
a  distinct  advance  in  external  form  on  its 
predecessors.  Issued  in  a  handy  quarto  in- 
stead of  a  heavy  folio,  it  was  more  suitable 
for  popular  use.  It  followed  Whittingham's 
New  Testament,  moreover,  in  being  printed 
in  Roman  instead  of  black  letters  and  in  hav- 
ing the  chapters  divided  into  verses,  with  a 
different  type  for  those  words  which  had 
nothing  corresponding  to  them  in  the  origi- 
nal. Its  popularity  was  unbounded.  The 
English  middle  classes  and  Scotchmen  of  all 
ranks  saw  in  it  a  great  manifesto  of  the 
Reformation.  Westcott  remarks  that  though 
from  the  time  of  its  first  appearance  * '  it  be- 

*  See  Preface  to  Genevan  Bible. 
2  Bible8  of  England,  p.  151. 


46      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

came  the  houseliold  Bible  of  the  English- 
speaking  nations,'^  it  was  never  sanctioned 
for  public  use  in  churches/  This  is  not  quite 
accurate,  for,  though  not  authorised  in  Eng- 
land, it  became  the  version  sanctioned  in 
Scotland  both  by  Church  and  State.  The 
Scottish  General  Assembly  ordered  every 
parish  to  buy  a  copy  for  public  use,^  and  it 
has  been  shown  that  Anglican  preachers  used 
it  quite  freely  even  after  the  Authorised  Ver- 
sion had  made  its  appearance.^  One  other 
point  of  interest  in  connection  with  its  his- 
tory is  that  it  was  the  version  used  by  Shakes- 
peare.* It  was  printed  again  and  again,  till 
toward  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and 
one  hundred  and  sixty  editions  of  it  have  been 
identified. 

*  History  of  the  English  Bible,  3d  edit.,  p.  93. 

2  Comp.  Darlow  and  Moule's  Historical  Catalogue,  Vol.  I, 
p.  89,  under  Geneva  Version  :  "  An  Act  of  the  Scots  Parlia- 
ment passed  in  1579  ordered  every  householder  worth  300 
merks  of  yearly  rent,  and  every  yeoman  or  burgess  worth 
£500  stock,  to  have  a  Bible  and  Psalm  Book,  in  the  vulgar 
language,  in  his  house,  under  the  penalty  of  ten  pounds." 

*  See  Authorisation  of  English  Bible,  Macmillan's  Magazine, 
October,  1881. 

*  See  Carter,  Shakespeare  and  Holy  Scripture,  pp.  1-19. 


THE  GENEVAN  VERSION  47 

The  translation  itself  is  marked  by  scholar- 
ship, literary  tact,  and,  when  we  consider  the 
position  of  the  authors,  singular  freedom 
from  dogmatic  prepossession.  Modern  opin- 
ion accepts  the  judgment  of  the  translators 
on  their  own  work  when  they  say,  ' '  We  may 
with  good  conscience  protest  that  we  have  in 
every  point  and  word,  according  to  the  meas- 
ure of  that  knowledge  which  it  pleased  Al- 
mighty God  to  give  us,  faithfully  rendered 
the  text,  and  in  all  hard  places  most  sincerely 
expounded  the  same.  For  God  is  our  witness 
that  we  have  by  all  means  endeavoured  to  set 
forth  the  purity  of  the  Word  and  the  right 
sense  of  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  edifying  of 
the  brethren  in  faith  and  charity.  * '  ^ 

The  main  weakness  of  the  version  was  its 
too  great  reliance  on  Beza's  text  and  the  dog- 
matic colouring  of  its  notes.  Nevertheless,  it 
inherited  the  fruits  of  Beza's  insight  into  the 
meaning  of  the  text,  and  this  heritage  has  to 
a  great  degree  been  embodied  in  our  latest 
revision.      Not    infrequently    the    Genevan 

^  Preface  to  the  Genevan  Bible,  1560. 


48      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

Bible  introduced  correct  renderings,  which, 
rejected  by  the  Authorised  Version,  have 
been  taken  back  by  our  Revisers,  though  in 
some  instances  in  different  phraseology. 
Among  these  the  following  may  be  noted: 
^'  Use  no  vain  repetitions."  ^  ^^  Cast  out  the 
mote.'' '  ^*  A  house  divided  against  a  house 
falleth."*  **  Salvation  is  of  the  Jews.''* 
*  ^  Because  the  Fast  was  now  past. "  '  *  ^  Ab- 
stain from  all  kind  of  evil." '  *'  Shadowing 
by  turning. " '  ^  ^  And  if  ye  call  him 
Father. ' ' '  One  touch  of  modernity  is  es- 
pecially striking — the  name  of  St.  Paul  is 
omitted  from  the  title  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews. 

Many  phrases  and  verses  that  have  become 
the  current  coin  of  Christian  speech  and  are 
stamped  with  the  seal  of  the  Revisers  came 
first  from  the  mint  of  the  Genevan  transla- 
tors ;  e.g.,  ^  *  Canst  thou  by  searching  find  out 
God?     Canst  thou  find  out  the  Almighty  to 

»  Matt.  vi.  7.  *  John  iv.  22.  '  James  i.  17. 

'  Matt.  vii.  4.  '  Acts  xxvii.  9.  ®  I  Peter  i.  17. 

»  Luke  xi.  17.  *  I  Thes.  v.  22. 


THE  GENEVAN  VERSION  49 

his  perfection?  ''^  ^*  The  house  appointed 
for  all  living.  ^ '  ^  *  *  Vanity  of  vanities,  saith 
the  Preacher;  vanity  of  vanities,  all  is 
vanity/'  ^  **  Eemember  now  [R.V.  '^  also  ''] 
thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth.''* 
**  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul."^ 
**  The  angel  of  his  presence."  ®  ''  The  foun- 
tain of  living  waters."  ^  **  Is  there  no  balm 
at  [R.V.  *^in"]  Gilead?"^  ^*  His  com- 
passions fail  not."^  **  My  people  are  de- 
stroyed for  lack  of  knowledge. "  ^'^  ^  *  For  they 
have  sown  [R.V.  ^*  sow  "]  the  wind,  and  they 
shall  reap  the  whirlwind."  "  **  For  who  hath 
despised  the  day  of  small  things!  "  ^^  *^  And 
I  will  spare  them,  as  a  man  spareth  his  own 
son  that  serveth  him. "  ^^  *  ^  Solomon  in  all  his 
glory. "  ^*  *  *  My  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased."  ^^  **  It  is  good  for  us  to  be 
here. "  ^^     * '  In  the  gall  of  bitterness   and 

1  Job  xi.  7.  '  Jer.  ii.  13.  ^  Zech.  iv.  10. 

2  Job  XXX.  23.               8  Jer.  viii.  22.  i3  Mai.  iii.  17. 
8  Ecc.  i.  2.  »  Lam.  iii.  22.  i*  Matt.  vi.  29. 
"  Ecc.  xil.  1.  10  Hosea  iv.  6.  i*  Matt.  xvii.  5. 
^  Isa.  liii.  11.  ^  Hosea  viii.  7.  "  Luke  ix.  33. 
•  Isa.  Ixiii.  9. 


60      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

[E.V.  adds  ^^  in  '^]  the  bond  of  iniquity."^ 
* '  Men  of  like  passions  with  you. ' '  ^  '''  Called 
to  be  saints.'^ ^  ^' The  oracles  of  God.''* 
'*  We  are  more  than  conquerors."^  **  A 
disobedient  and  gainsaying  people."  ^  ''  We 
know  in  part,  and  we  prophesy  in  part. ' '  ^ 
**  Knowing  therefore  the  terror  [K.V. 
*  *  fear  ' ']  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade  men. ' '  ® 
''  We  walk  by  faith,  not  by  sight." "  ''  The 
word  of  reconciliation."^^  *^  Let  us  not  be 
weary  of  [R.V. ''  in  "]  well-doing:  for  in  due 
season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not."  " 
^^That  he  might  fill  all  things."^'  ^^  His 
eyes  [R.Y.  *'  the  eyes  of  him  "]  with  whom 
we  have  to  do. ' '  ^^ 

All  this  gives  an  inadequate  conception  of 
the  debt  of  our  modern  version  to  the  Gene- 
van exiles.  On  every  page  of  the  Bible  there 
are  touches  from  their  hands  which  marked  an 
improvement  on  all  preceding  translations 

1  Acts  viii.  23.  «  Rom.  x.  21.  i"  II  Cor.  v.  19. 

2  Acts  xiv.  15.  ^  I  Cor.  xiii.  9.  "  Gal.  vi.  9. 

3  Rom.  i.  7.  8 II  Cor.  v.  11.  ^  Eph.  iv.  10. 

4  Rom.  iii.  2.  « II  Cor.  v.  7.  i'  Heb.  iv.  13. 
«  Rom.  viii.  37. 


THE  GENEVAN  VERSION  51 

and  which  have  commended  themselves  to 
modern  scholars.  A  few  may  be  given: 
^*  A  root  out  of  a  dry  ground."  ^  **  He  was 
despised,  and  rejected  of  men/'^  **  We 
esteemed  him  not. "  ^  *  *  Surely  he  hath  borne 
our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows."* 
^' But  if  the  salt  have  lost  its  savour/"^ 
^'  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon 
the  earth.'' ^  ^^  Where  he  had  been  brought 
up."  ^  '^  Recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind.''  * 
''  His  word  was  ivith  authority."  ®  ''  All  the 
living  that  she  had."  ^'^  ^'  His  only  begotten 
Son.""  ^' It  was  the  preparation  of  the 
passover."  ^^  ^' Woven  from  the  top 
throughout."  ^^  ^'  The  Spirit  himself  beareth 
witness  with  our  spirit."  ^"^  ''  The  redemp- 
tion  of  our  body."^^  ^'  The  image  of  his 
Son."^^  ''A  living  sacrifice."  ^^  '^  Abhor 
that  which  is  evil. "  ^*    '^  Unto  Jews  a  stum- 

1  Isa.  liii.  2.  '  Luke  iv.  16.  ^^  john  xix.  23. 

2  Isa.  liii.  3.  »  Luke  iv.  18.  "  Rom.  viii.  16. 

3  Isa.  liii.  3.  «  Luke  iv.  32.  «  Rom.  viii.  23. 
^  Isa.  liii.  4.  i°  Luke  xxi.  4.  i«  Rom.  viii.  29. 
"^  Matt.  V.  13.  "  John  iii.  16.  ^^  Rom.  xii.  1. 

«  Matt.  vi.  19.  12  John  xix.  14.         ^^  Rom.  xii.  9. 


52      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

hling-hlock/'  ^  ''  Comparing  spiritual  things 
with  spiritual  [things].''-  ^^  We  have  the 
mind  of  Christ.''^  ^^  As  a  wise  master- 
builder/^*  **  A  little  leaven  leaveneth  the 
whole  lump/'  ^  '^  The  cup  of  blessing  which 
we  bless,  Is  it  not  a  communion  of  the  blood 
of  Christ? ''«  '^A  great  door  and  ef- 
fectual/' ^  '^  Able  ministers  of  the  new  testa- 
ment."^ **  Our  light  affliction,  which  is  for 
the  moment/'^  ^^  Ministry  of  reconcilia- 
tion/' ^^  ^*  That  we  might  become  the  right- 
eousness of  God  in  him/'^^  ''Be  not  un- 
equally yoked  with  unbelievers."^^  "  Cast- 
ing down  imaginations/'  ^^  ''  A.  different  gos- 
pel; which  is  not  another  gospel/'^*  ''  The 
fulness  of  the  time. "  ^^  *  *  Weak  and  beggarly 
rudiments/'  ^^  ^^  As  many  as  desire  to  make 
a  fair  show  in  the  flesh/'  ^^  ''  Dispensation 
of  the  fulness  of  the  time/'  ^^    ''  What  is  the 

1 1  Cor.  i.  23.  '  I  Cor.  xvi.  9.  i^  u  Qot.  x.  5. 

2  I  Cor.  ii.  13.  « II  Cor.  iii.  6.  i^  ^al.  i.  6-7. 

3  I  Cor.  ii.  16.  9 II  Cor.  iv.  17.  i*  Gal.  iv.  4. 

*  I  Cor.  iii.  10.  ^^  n  Cor.  v.  18.  i^  Qal.  iv.  9. 

^  I  Cor.  V.  6.  11 II  Cor.  v.  21.  "  Gal.  vi.  12. 

♦  I  Cor.  X.  16.  12 II  Cor.  vi  14.  i«  Eph.  i.  10. 


THE  GENEVAN  VERSION  53 

hope  of  Us  calling?  ''"■    ''All  the  fulness  of 
God/'''  **  Being  darkened  in  their  under- 
standing. ' '  ^    ''  The  recompense  of  reward. ' '  * 
' '  Cloud  of  witnesses.  ^ '  ^     ''  Run  with  patience 
the  race.''^  * 

1  Eph.  i.  18.  3  Eph.  iv.  18.  *  Heb.  xii.  1. 

2  Eph  iii.  19.  ■*  Heb,  xi.  26.  «  Heb.  xii.  1. 

*  The  words  italicised  we  owe  to  the  Genevan. 


CHAPTER  lY 

THE  CONTEIBUTION  OF  THE  BISHOPS '   BIBLE 

With  the  dawning  of  '^  the  spacious  times 
of  great  Elizabeth, ' '  the  fortunes  of  the  Eng- 
lish Bible  once  more  took  a  turn  for  the  bet- 
ter. The  new  Queen  indeed  was  no  ardent 
advocate  of  the  Scriptures.  Secularised  in 
temper,  compromising  in  policy,  her  attitude, 
as  Green  remarks,  towards  the  enthusiasm  of 
her  time  was  that  of  Lorenzo  de  Medici  to- 
wards Savonarola.  She  refused  '^  to  able  or 
disable  "  any  of  the  current  versions.  Still, 
she  reissued  the  injunction  of  Edward  VI 
ordering  a  copy  of  the  Great  Bible  to  be  set 
up  in  each  church  for  public  use,  and  en- 
couraged all  men  to  read  it  with  great  hu- 
mility and  reverence  as  the  very  lively  Word 
of  God.^  The  reign  of  this  version  lasted  for 
about  thirty  years.  Meantime  the  Genevan 
became  the  favourite  for  private  study  and 
reading. 

^  Cardwell,  Doc.  Ann,,  I,  2,  p.  9. 
54 


THE  BISHOPS'  BIBLE  55 

Clearly  Archbishop  Parker,  with  his  feel- 
ing for  uniformity  and  discipline,  was  open  to 
the  suggestion  of  a  new  revision,  which  it 
would  appear  came  first  from  Eichard  Cox, 
Bishop  of  Ely,  who  had  not  forgotten  his 
troubles  with  the  makers  of  the  Genevan  Ver- 
sion at  Frankfort.  The  Archbishop  resolved 
on  a  revision  of  the  authorised  Great  Bible. 
He  divided  up  the  work  into  sections,  and 
these  were  distributed  among,  as  Strype  says, 
**  able  bishops  and  other  learned  men  ''  to 
read  and  revise,  each  his  allotted  portion,  add- 
ing marginal  notes  for  the  correction  of  the 
text.  The  first  edition  appeared  in  1568. 
Giles  Lawrence,  Professor  of  Greek  at  Oxford 
and  one  of  the  best  Greek  scholars  of  his  time, 
drew  up  a  paper  containing  *  ^  notes  of  errors 
in  the  translation  of  the  New  Testament.'' 
He  selects  for  criticism  twenty-nine  passages. 
Fifteen  are  not  aptly  translated;  in  eight, 
words  and  pieces  of  sentences  are  omitted; 
in  two,  superfluous  words  are  inserted;  two 
are  mistranslated,  giving  rise  to  an  error  in 
doctrine;  and  in  two,  the  moods  and  tenses 


56      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

of  verbs  are  changed/  As  a  result,  an 
amended  edition  was  published  four  years 
later.  The  motive  for  the  undertaking,  as 
given  in  the  Preface  drawn  up  by  Parker,  is 
the  neglect  and  scarcity  of  copies  of  the  Great 
Bible.  *'  And  for  that  the  copies  thereof  be 
so  wasted  that  very  many  churches  do  want 
their  convenient  Bibles,  it  was  thought  good 
to  some  well  disposed  men  to  recognise  [re- 
vise] the  same  Bible  again  into  this  form  as 
it  has  now  come  out,  with  some  further  dili- 
gence in  the  printing,  and  with  some  more 
light  added,  partly  in  the  translation,  and 
partly  in  the  order  of  the  text,  not  as  con- 
demning the  former  translation  which  was 
followed  mostly  of  any  other  translation,  ex- 
cepting the  original  text  from  which  as  little 
variance  was  made  as  was  thought  meet  to 
such  as  took  pains  therein. ' '  ^  In  a  letter, 
however,  addressed  by  Parker  to  Cecil,  in 
which  he  asks  that  the  Queen  might  license 
the  revision,  he  gives  as  well  an  explanation 

*  Strypes,  Life  of  Parker,  Appendix  85. 
'  See  Preface  to  the  Bishops'  Bible. 


THE  BISHOPS'  BIBLE  57 

more  to  the  point :  ^  ^  As  for  that  in  certain 
places  be  publicly  used  some  translations 
which  have  not  been  laboured  in  your  realm, 
having  interspersed  divers  prejudicial  notes, 
which  might  have  been  also  well  spared. ' '  ^ 
The  allusion  here  is  obviously  to  the  Genevan 
Version. 

Though  in  many  ways  a  distinct  advance  on 
the  Great  Bible,  the  episcopal  venture  as  a 
whole  must  be  deemed  a  failure.  For  this 
several  reasons  may  be  suggested.  The  Eliz- 
abethan bishops,  with  some  few  exceptions 
such  as  Parker  himself  and  Grindal,  Bishop 
of  London,  were  not  men  distinguished  for 
learning.^  There  was  not  a  Hebrew  scholar 
of  distinction  among  them,  and  their  work  in 
the  Old  Testament  was  therefore  especially 
inadequate.  In  the  second  place,  the  aim  of 
the  translators  was  not  set  high  enough.   Their 

*  Quoted  by  Westcott,  History  of  the  English  Bible, 
p.  100,  foot  note. 

*  It  is  curious  that  Bishop  Jewell,  of  whom  Richard 
Hooker  said  "  that  he  was  the  worthiest  divine  Christendom 
bred  these  many  years,"  was  not  asked  to  take  part  in  the 
revision.  In  his  earlier  years,  he  had  studied  the  versions 
of  Tindale  and  Coverdale. 


58      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

rules,  which  they  interpreted  with  but  little 
freedom,  enjoined  that  they  should  ^^  follow 
the  common  English  translation  [the  Great 
Bible]  used  in  the  churches,  and  not  to  recede 
from  it  but  where  it  varieth  manifestly  from 
the  Hebrew  or  Greek  original. '^  The  con- 
servative temper  of  their  minds  and  their 
peculiar  ecclesiastical  difficulties  made  any 
adequate  work  exceedingly  difficult.  In  the 
mordant  phrase  of  Charles  Lamb,  they  ap- 
peared to  have  '^  encouraged  one  another  in 
mediocrity.''  Finally,  a  collection  of  transla- 
tions by  different  hands,  fused  into  no  organic 
whole  and  influenced  too  mechanically  by  the 
Great  Bible,  even  to  the  copying  of  errors 
which  had  been  corrected  by  the  Genevan,  had 
no  promise  of  life  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  was 
powerless  to  stem  the  popular  demand  for  its 
Calvinistic  rival.  Although  going  forth  with 
the  sanction  of  Convocation,  it  never  gained 
the  popular  suffrage,  nor  did  it  even  gain  an 
exclusive  place  in  the  churches.  The  Psalter 
of  the  Great  Bible,  a  monument  as  we  have 
seen  to  the  genius  of  Miles  Coverdale,  had 


THE  BISHOPS'  BIBLE  59 

grown  so  familiar  to  those  accustomed  to  it 
that  the  Bishops'  new  version  of  the  Psalms 
failed  to  dislodge  it,  and  so  in  the  second  edi- 
tion of  1572  we  find  the  old  and  the  new  Psal- 
ter published  side  by  side  in  parallel  columns. 
And  yet  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  suppose 
that  the  Bishops'  Bible  has  not  left  traces 
of  linguistic  skill  and  singularly  happy  turns 
of  expression  as  a  legacy  to  our  latest  text. 
Thus  we  have  the  following:^  ^^  Blessed 
are  they  that  have  been  persecuted  for  right- 
eousness' sake  '';  2  <^  leave  there  thy  gift  ";  ^ 
**  for  it  is  profitable  for  thee  that  one  of  thy 
members  should  perish";*  ^' a  ivriting  of 
divorcement  " ;  ^  ^'  shalt  perform  unto  the 
Lord  thine  oaths  ^^;^  ^^  if  ye  salute  your 
brethren  only";^  ^^  faithless  and  perverse 
generation  ";''  ^^  He  will  miserably  destroy 
those  miserable  men  ";^  ''  she  of  her  ivant 
did  cast  in  all  that  she  had  ";  '^  ''  With  de- 

1  The  words   italicised  are  contributed  by  the  Bishops' 
Bible. 

*Matt.  V.  10.  "Matt.  V.  31.         «  Matt.  xvii.  17. 

«  Matt.  V.  24.         •  Matt.  v.  33.         «  Matt.  xxi.  41. 
*  Matt.  V.  29.  '  Matt.  v.  47. 

^^  Mark  xii.  44. — Here  is  a  touch  rejected  by  the  Author- 


60      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

sire  I  have  desired  '';^  ''  and  they  that  have 
authority  over  them  are  called  Benefac- 
tors '';  2  f<  i^^j.  jgg^g  i^g  delivered  up  to  their 

wiW;^  ^'called  The  place  of  a  skuW;* 
^'  the  work  of  the  law  '';  ^  ""  as  tve  are  [E.V. 
^'  be  "]  slanderously  reported  '^ ;^  '''  was  able 
also  to  perform  '^'"^  ^^  joint  heirs  with 
Christ  ";^  ^^  a  rock  of  offence  ";^  "•  your 
[spiritual]  service  '^ ;  ^^  '^  overcome  evil  with 
good  ^' ;  ^^  ''  Love  worketh  no  ill  to  his  neigh- 
bour '^ ;  ^^  ^ ^  we  shall  all  stand  before  the  judg- 
ment-seat of  Christ '';^^  ^'  Let  not  [then] 
your  good  be  evil  spoken  of  "  •/*  ^  ^  that  no  flesh 
should  glory  before  G-od";^^  ^^  my  under- 
standing 2*5  unfruitful  '';^®  *^  for  we  are  not 
ignorant  of  his  devices  '  %•  ^^    ^ '  For  not  he  that 

ised  Version  but  approved  by  the  Revisers.  Westcott  has 
reckoned  that  Eph.  iv.  1-16  contains  17  new  variations  from 
the  Great  Bible.  It  is  worth  noting  that  of  these  only- 
three  verbatim  and  a  fourth  slightly  altered  have  survived 
in  the  R.V. 

^Lukexxii.  15.         'Rom.  iv.  21.  i3Rom.  xiv.  10. 

2Lukexxii.  25.  ^Rom.  viii.  17.  i^Rom.  xiv.  16. 

?Luke  xxiii.  25.        ^Rom.  ix.  3.3.  ^^  i    Cor.  i.  29. 

^John  xix.  17.  loRom.  xii.  1.  is  I    Cor.  xiv.  14. 

«  Rom.  ii.  15.  "Rom.  xii.  21.  i'  II    Cor.  ii.  11. 

6  Rom.  iii.  8.  12  Rom.  xiii.  10. 


THE  BISHOPS'  BIBLE  61 

commendeth  himself  is  approved,  but  whom 
the  Lord  commendeth  '  ^ ;  ^  '^unspeakable 
words,  which  it  is  not  lawful  for  a  man  to  ut- 
ter  ' ' ;  ^  ' '  children  ought  not  to  lay  up  for  the 
parents,  but  the  parents  for  the  children  '';  ^ 
*^  he  is  a  debtor  to  do  the  whole  law'';* 
*^  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inherit- 
ance  ";  ^  ^^  gave  him  to  be  head  ";  ^  ''  holi- 
ness of  truth'';''  "that  he  might  present 
it'';^  "I  am  in  a  strait  hetivixt  the  two, 
having  the  desire  to  depart'';^  '^  made  in 
the  likeness  of  men'';^*^  ^^  the  poiver  of 
his  resurrection'';^^  '^  the  word  of  the 
truth  of  the  gospel  ";^^  *^  unto  all  pleas- 
ing";^^  '^  what  is  the  riches  of  the  glory 
of  this  mystery  '';  ^*  "  the  rudiments  of  the 
world  ";^^  "a  more  excellent  sacrifice  ";^* 
*  *  the  wrath  of  the  king  " ;  ^^  "  time  will  fail 
me  ";i«  '^  the  fathers  fell  asleep.  "i» 

1 II    Cor.  X.  18.  3  11    Cor.  xii.  14.  ^  Eph.  i.  18. 

2 II    Cor.  xii.  4.  "  Gal.  v.  3.  ^  Eph.  i.  22. 

'  Eph.  iv.  24— The  Bishops'  Version  is  the  first  to  trans- 
late here  correctly. 

8  Eph.  V.  27.  i2Col.  i.  5.  i6Heb.  xi.  4. 

9  Phil.  i.  23.  13  Col.  i.  10.  "Heb.  xi.  27. 

10  Phil.  ii.  27.  "Col.  i.  27.  is  Heb.  xi.  32. 

11  Phil.  iii.  10.  15  Col.  ii.  20.  i'  II   Pet.  iii.  4. 


62      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

The  main  historical  significance  of  the 
Bishops'  text  lies  in  the  fact  that  its  second 
edition  was  taken  as  the  basis  of  the  Au- 
thorised Version,  and  it  is  thus  the  lineal  an- 
cestor of  our  present  Kevision. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   ROMAIT   CATHOLIC    CONTRIBUTIOlSr 

We  must  now  study  another  translation, 
which,  of  all  the  versions  outside  the  direct 
line  of  descent,  with  the  possible  exception 
of  the  Genevan,  has  affected  the  Authorised 
and,  through  it,  the  Eevised  New  Testament 
more  powerfully  than  any  other.  This  is  the 
famous  Roman  Catholic  version  made  at 
Rheims  in  1582.  Like  the  work  of  Tindale 
and  the  Genevan  divines,  it  was  the  fruit  of 
exile  voluntarily  suffered  for  conscience'  sake. 
With  the  accession  of  Elizabeth  in  1558,  the 
efforts  of  her  sister  Mary  to  make  England 
Roman  Catholic  were  brought  to  naught. 
Penal  enactments  were  passed  against  the 
old  faith.  Many  divines  and  scholars  fled 
to  the  Continent,  and  among  them  William 
Allen,  Principal  of  St.  Mary's  Hall,  Oxford, 
and  Canon  of  York,  afterwards  made  a  Car- 
dinal by  Sixtus  V,  at  the  request  of  Philip  II 


64      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

of  Spain,  in  the  hope  that  his  well-known 
political  ability  would  help  in  the  reorganisa- 
tion of  the  Church  in  England,  should  the 
Armada,  as  was  expected,  prove  victorious/ 
The  one  ambition  of  Allen's  life  was  to 
restore  England  to  the  Roman  communion, 
and  the  instruments  on  which  he  relied  were 
missionary  propaganda  and  political  in- 
trigue. He  took  in  earnest  the  temporal 
penalties  annexed  to  the  papal  excommunica- 
tion of  Elizabeth,  and  openly  declared  Philip 
to  be  the  rightful  heir  to  the  English  throne. 
He  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  great  dan- 
ger of  a  complete  extinction  of  the  old  priest- 
hood and  of  the  consequent  inability  of  the 
Roman  Church  to  profit  by  any  favourable 
turn  affairs  in  England  might  take,  and  he 
communicated  his  fears  to  Dr.  Vendeville, 
Professor  of  Canon  Law  in  the  University 
of  Douay.  The  result  was  the  founding  of 
a  college  affiliated  to  this  university  in  1568 
for  the  education  of  English  youths  who, 
unwilling  to   take   the  oath  of   supremacy, 

*  See  Douay  Diaries,  p.  Ixxxiv. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     65 

could  not  matriculate  at  Oxford  or  Cam- 
bridge, and  for  the  training  of  learned 
priests,  who  might  take  the  place  of  the  fast 
diminishing  Marian  clergy.^  Later  it  became 
the  centre  of  a  great  missionary  propaganda, 
aiming  at  the  reconversion  of  England  to 
papal  doctrine.  Allen,  who  was  made  Presi- 
dent of  the  college,  was  himself  a  theologian 
of  eminence,  the  author  of  several  contro- 
versial works,  and  one  of  the  company  of 
revisers  chosen  to  edit  a  new  edition  of  the 
Septuagint  which  was  published  by  Sixtus 
V  in  1587.^ 

Ten  years  passed  away  in  earnest  literary 
and  scholastic  activity.  Then,  owing  to  the 
hostility  of  the  Huguenot  townspeople,  the 
college  was  compelled  to  remove  to  Rheims, 
where  it  received  a  friendly  welcome.  Here 
is  the  birthplace  of  the  first  Roman  Catholic 
version  of  the  New  Testament  in  English. 
Among  the  subjects  of  collegiate  study,  the 
Bible  held  a  prominent  place.  Every  day  a 
lecture  was  delivered  on  some  passage  of 

1  Ibid.,  p.  xxvii.  -  Ibid.,  p.  Ixxxiv. 


66     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

Scripture.  A  chapter  from  tlie  Old  Testa- 
ment and  one  from  the  New  were  expounded 
after  dinner  and  supper  daily,  and  during 
these  meals  Bible  lessons  were  read.  In  this 
way,  the  Old  Testament  was  gone  over  twelve 
times  every  three  years  or  so,  and  the  New 
Testament  sixteen  times  in  the  same  period. 
This  information  we  owe  to  Allen  himself,^ 
who  takes  occasion  at  the  same  time  to  point 
out  how  seriously  handicapped  Roman  Cath- 
olic preachers  were,  inasmuch  as,  being 
familiar  only  with  the  Vulgate,  they  often 
hesitated  or  blundered  when  trying,  on  the 
spur  of  the  moment,  to  translate  it  into 
English.  He  proposes  an  English  Catholic 
Version,  and,  if  the  Pope  will  permit,  he 
undertakes  to  get  the  work  done.  A  trans- 
lation of  the  Scripture  into  barbarous  tongues 
is  not  perhaps  in  itself  desirable.  Still,  the 
curiosity  of  men  not  wholly  bad  and  the  need 
of  a  weapon  wherewith  to  confute  the  her- 
etics, as  well  as  the  peril  to  which  the  faithful 

1  Ihid. ,  p.  xli.    See  also  Letters  and  Memorials  of  Cardinal 
Allen,  pp.  52  seq. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     67 

are  exposed  in  reading  existing  versions, 
makes  it  at  worst  a  necessary  evil/  The 
source  of  this  information  is  a  letter,  dated 
1578.^  Here,  then,  is  the  earliest  germ  of  the 
enterprise. 

We  know  when  the  work  was  begun  and 
when  it  was  finished.  In  the  margin  of  the 
second  Douay  Diary,  under  date  of  October, 
1578,  we  read:  ^^  On  or  about  October  16th, 
Martin,  graduate  and  Licentiate  in  Theology, 
began  a  version  of  the  Bible  in  English  in 
order  to  oppose  most  healthfully  the  corrup- 
tions of  the  heretics  whereby  they  have  sadly 
imposed  for  so  long  a  time  on  almost  all  the 
people  of  our  country,  and  that  the  work — a 
very  useful  one  as  is  hoped — ^may  issue  the 

^  Robert  Parsons,  writing  in  1580,  says  :  "  The  Scripture  is 
read  there  [in  church]  in  false  and  shameless  translations 
containing  manifest  and  wilful  corruptions  to  draw  it  to  their 
own  purposes,  as  hath  been  showed  .  ,  .  and  is  like  to  be 
(shortly)  more  plainly  by  the  grace  of  God." — Reasons  Why 
Catholics  Refuse  to  Oo  to  Church. 

2  The  letter  from  Allen  to  Vendeville  is  in  Latin,  and  the 
original  is  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  English  College  in 
Rome.  It  is  printed  in  Letters,  etc.,  of  Cardinal  Allen,  pp. 
52-67.  The  date  is  altered  to  1580.  If  correct,  Allen  must 
have  taken  for  granted  the  papal  approbation. 


68      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

more  speedily,  he  finishes  the  translating  of 
two  chapters  daily.  These  chapters,  for  the 
sake  of  greater  correctness,  Allen  our  Presi- 
dent and  Bristow  our  Moderator  read  over 
carefully,  and  if  anything  anywhere  seems 
faulty,  they  in  their  wisdom  faithfully  correct 
it/'  There  is  no  record,  strange  to  say,  of 
the  progress  of  the  work  or  of  the  mode  of 
procedure.  One  line  records  only  its  com- 
pletion. Under  date  of  March,  1582,  we 
read :  ^  ^  In  this  month,  the  last  touches  were 
given  the  New  Testament  edited  in  English. '^ 
In  1593,  the  college  returned  to  Douay, 
where,  sixteen  years  later,  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, translated  by  Martin  and  annotated 
by  Dr.  Thomas  Worthington,  was  published. 
The  long  delay  in  its  appearance  is  explained 
in  the  Preface  as  due  to  *  *  our  poor  estate  in 
banishment.''  We  owe  the  Douay  Bible, 
then,  to  a  small  group  of  distinguished  Ox- 
ford scholars,  who,  in  spite  of  their  attach- 
ment to  the  old  faith,  had  unconsciously  been 
influenced  by  their  contact  with  the  new 
learning.     This  group  had  for  its  central 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     69 

figure  Gregory  Martin,  with  whoni  were  asso- 
ciated as  revisers  William  Allen,  Richard 
Bristow,  Thomas  Worthington,  and  William 
Reynolds/  These  men  were  eminently  quali- 
fied for  their  high  labours.  Martin  was  re- 
garded by  his  contemporaries  as  a  paragon  of 
learning.  Admitted  by  the  founder  as  one 
of  the  original  scholars  of  St.  John's  College, 
Oxford,  he  had  a  brilliant  academic  career. 
Anthony  a  Wood,  the  old  Oxford  chronicler, 
speaks  of  him  as  ^^  a  most  excellent  linguist, 
exactly  read  and  versed  in  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures, and  went  beyond  all  of  his  time  in 
humane  literature,  whether  in  poetry  or 
prose.'' ^  His  college  had  no  one  to  match 
him  in  Greek  and  Hebrew  learning.  If 
Oxford  gave  him  classical  and  philological 
knowledge,  Douay  taught  him  theology.  He 
eventually  became  professor  in  the  Seminary, 
giving  himself  mainly  to  the  work  of  trans- 

1  See  Dodd,  Church  History  of  England  (edit.  1739,  Vol.  II, 
Part  4.  Book  2).  Possevino, — Apparatus  sacer  [under  Bihlia  ; 
margin  Anglica  Editio].  Whitaker,  Answer e  to  a  Certeine 
Booke  Written  by  Maister  William  Rainolds,  etc. ,  p.  365. 

2  AthencB  Oxonienses,  Vol.  I  (under  Gregory  Martin). 


10     MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

lating  the  Bible  and  to  writing  a  sharp  criti' 
cism  of  the  then  existing  English  versions. 
So  eagerly  did  he  pursue  these  tasks  that 
his  health  was  undermined  and  he  fell  a 
victim  to  tuberculosis.  The  year  which  saw 
the  issue  of  his  New  Testament  was  the  year 
of  his  death. 

Bristow  was  the  rhetorician  of  the  party. 
Full  scope  for  his  polemical  gifts  was  found 
in  the  uncompromising  notes  which,  alas,  for 
controversial  fame,  lie  neglected  and  for- 
gotten in  the  original  edition  of  the  Rhemish 
New  Testament.^  Most  of  the  Douay  divines 
had  come  under  the  influence  of  the  new 
teaching  at  Oxford,  and  their  belief  in  the 
need  and  value  of  an  English  translation  of 
the  Bible  suited  to  serve  their  church  in 
England  was  no  doubt  unconsciously  the 
product  of  their  early  associations. 

*  Daniel  O'Connell,  the  Irish  liberator,  himself  a  devout 
Roman  Catholic,  denounced  many  of  the  Rhemish  notes  as 
"  odious  and  abominable  "  at  a  time  when  it  was  feared  their 
republication  would  prejudice  the  prospects  of  Catholic  eman- 
cipation. See  O'Connell's  Speeches,  edited  by  his  son,  Vol, 
II,  p.  257.  The  modern  notes,  while  thoroughly  ecclesiastical 
in  tone,  are  also  perfectly  inoffensive. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     VI 

The  version  was  made,  not  from  the  original 
Greek  and  Hebrew,  but  from  the  Latin  Vul- 
gate. The  translators,  however,  had  the 
original  texts  before  them.  ''  We  translate," 
say  the  Ehemists,  ''  the  old  vulgar  Latin 
text,  not  the  common  Greek  text,"  and 
they  give  reasons  why  they  ''  translate  the 
Latin  text  rather  than  the  Hebrew."  They 
offer  ten  reasons  for  their  choice  of  a  trans- 
lation instead  of  the  primary  text  as  the 
basis  of  their  work.  Briefly  put,  they  are  as 
follows :  The  great  antiquity  of  the  Vulgate, 
its  correction  by  St.  Jerome  with  reference 
to  the  Greek  text,  its  commendation  by  St. 
Augustine,  its  use  in  the  public  services  of 
the  church  since  that  time,  the  confirmation 
of  it  as  the  authentic  text  of  Scripture  by  the 
Council  of  Trent,  its  impartiality  and  free- 
dom from  bias,  its  great  fidelity  to  the 
original,  the  preference  shown  for  it  by 
Protestants  like  Beza,  its  freedom  from  vari- 
ations as  compared  with  the  endless  diversity 
of  reading  in  the  common  Greek  text,  its 
superiority  to  the  Greek  where  it  differs  from 


72      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

it,  '^  for  most  of  the  ancient  heretics  were 
Grecians  and  therefore  the  Scripture  in 
Greek  was  more  corrupted  by  them."  ^  Un- 
happily, the  common  Latin  text  which  they 
translated  had  suffered  much  in  the  course 
of  transmission,  and  even  the  Clementine 
Eevisicn,  with  which,  at  a  later  time,  the 
Ehemish  New  Testament  was  harmonised, 
was  not  prepared,  as  Scrivener  remarks, ''  on 
any  intelligent  principle  of  criticism,  or  fur- 
nishes us  with  such  a  text  as  the  best  manu- 
scripts of  Jerome's  Vulgate  supply  to  our 
hand. ' '  ^  If  we  examine  the  Ehemish  version 
in  a  sympathetic  spirit  and  with  due  allow- 
ance for  the  ecclesiastical  position  of  its  mak- 
ers, we  cannot  but  be  struck  by  its  singular 
freedom  from  dogmatic  bias.  What  seems  to 
the  Protestant  reader,  familiar  only  with  the 
Authorised  or  Eevised  Version,  a  straining  of 
Scripture  language  here  and  there  in  favour 
of  Eoman  Catholic  dogma,  is  really  the  result 
of  a  deliberately  chosen  principle  of  literal 

1  See  Preface  to  the  Rhemish  New  Testament. 

2  See  Note  C,  Appendix  :  Origin  and  History  of  the  Vulgate. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     73 

adherence  to  the  Latin  text,  and  is  set  down 
in  good  faith.  Again,  though  painfully  loyal 
to  the  Vulgate,  the  Ehemists  fall  back  for 
guidance  on  those  very  versions  against 
which  they  polemicised  so  fiercely  in  their 
Preface.  For  instance,  a  critical  analysis 
of  Hebrews,  chap,  i,  verses  1-4,  shows  that 
only  two  of  the  ninety-eight  words  with  which 
they  translate  the  passage  are  undoubtedly 
original,  all  the  rest  being  found  in  one  or 
other  of  the  current  versions  from  Wy cliff e's 
to  the  Bishops'  Bible.  Moreover,  the 
Greek  text  was  consulted  when  the  Latin 
failed  them,  as  in  the  use  of  the  definite 
article.  Hence  the  Ehemish  rendering  now 
and  again  anticipates  the  Revision,  where  the 
Authorised  Version,  through  carelessness,  is 
at  fault.^  Another  anticipation  of  the  Re- 
vised Version  to  which  the  Rhemists  may 
lay  claim  is  its  literal  rendering  of  the  ^ '  gen- 
itive of  quality,''  which  the  Latin  takes  over 
from  the  Greek,  which  in  turn  borrows  it 
from  the  Hebrew.     Thus,  the  ^^  gospel  of  the 

1  Comp.  Matt.  vii.  17,  xxv.  30  ;  Rev.  vii.  13. 


74      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

glory  of  Christ  ''  and  ''  the  son  of  his  love  '' 
are  richer  in  significance  than  the  Author- 
ised rendering,  ^^  the  glorious  gospel  of 
Christ'^  and  ''his  dear  son.'^  The  fatal 
flaw,  however,  pervading  the  entire  work  is 
the  sadly  inadequate  conception  of  a  trans- 
lator's function  with  which  it  was  under- 
taken. The  Ehemish  scholars,  forgetful  of 
Luther's  principle  that ''  God  does  not  reveal 
grammatical  vocables  but  essential  things," 
kept  to  their  Latin  text  with  bald  and  slavish 
accuracy,  reproducing  its  ambiguities  and 
obscurities  and  sacrificing  the  idiom  and 
spirit  of  the  language  into  which  they  trans- 
lated. Indeed,  the  original  edition  of  the 
Ehemish  Version  is  an  outrage  on  the  English 
tongue,  crowded  as  it  is  with  barbarisms, 
infelicities,  cacophonies,  and  dark  sayings. 
Many  passages  convey  no  meaning  except  to 
the  scholar  who  is  able  to  turn  them  back 
into  Latin,  and  in  some  cases  even  the  Latin 
has  lost  the  sense.^  Many  of  these  faults 
have  been  remedied  in  later  editions,  but  a 

1  See  Note  D,  Appendix. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     75 

considerable  number  still  remain.  For  ex- 
ample, we  have :  ^  ^'  Celebrating  the  ex- 
equies ' ' ;  ^  ^  ^  nothing  of  that  anathema  shall 
stick  to  thy  hand  ' ' ;  ^  ^  ^  my  chalice  which  in- 
ebriateth  him,  how  goodly  it  is  " ;  *  '^  thou 
shalt  not  be  afraid  ...  of  the  business 
that  walketh  about  in  the  dark,  of  invasion, 
or  of  the  noon-day  devil  ' ' ;  ^  ^'  thy  name  is 
invocated  upon  thy  city  ' ' ;  ^  ^  ^  the  Devil  shall 
go  forth  before  His  feet  ";  ^  ^^  Give  us  to-day 
our  supersubstantial  bread  " ;  ^  ^  ^  bearing 
about  in  our  body  the  mortification  of 
Jesus ' ' ;  ^  ^  ^  let  no  man  seduce  you,  willing 
in  humanity  and  religion  of  angels  '^;  ^^  ^^  in- 
flameth  the  wheel  of  our  nativity  '' ;  ^^  <^  insin- 
uating humility  one  to  another  ";  ^^  ^'  every 
spirit  that  dissolveth  Jesus  is  not  of  God  '^;  ^^ 
^^  the  flesh  of  tribunes."^*     After  the  un- 


1  These  passages  are  taken  from  the  edition  of  the  Douay 
Bible  approved  by  Cardinal  Gibbons  for  circulation  in  the 
United  States. 

2  Gen.  1.  10.  ">  Hab.  iii.  5.  "  James  iii.  6. 
sDeut.  xiii.  17.  ^  Matt.  vi.  11.  12  n  Pet.  v.  5. 
*  Psalm  xxiii.  5.  » II  Cor.  iv.  10.  i^  j  john  iv.  3. 
5  Psalm  xci.  6.  i"  Col.  ii.  18.  1*  Rev.  xix.  18. 
«  Dan.  ix.  19. 


76      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

learned  reader  has  puzzled  out  these  and 
others  like  them,  he  may  go  on  to  ask  the 
meaning  of  ^'  pythonic  spirits,"  '^  loaves  of 
proposition,''  '^  a  rational,"  a  "  curdled 
mountain,"  "  the  cords  of  Adam."  And 
then,  what  are  **  tamaric,"  "  cherogrillus, " 
''  ophiomachus, "  "  sciniph,"  '^  charadrion," 
* '  azymes  "  ?  ^ 

It  argues  a  strange  blindness  on  the  part 
of  its  creators  to  suppose  that  such  a  work 
could  ever  become  the  favourite  of  the  English 
people.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  though  formally 
authorised  by  the  ecclesiastical  authorities 
and  its  worst  faults  removed,  it  has  never 
gained  the  admiration  of  even  Eoman  Cath- 
olic Christians,  and  owes  its  present  position 
to  the  dead  hand  of  religious  conservatism 
that  rests  so  heavily  on  the  Roman  Church. 

In  1749,  Dr.  Eichard  Challoner,  an  English 
Roman  Catholic  divine,  published  a  revision 
of  the  Rhemish  New  Testament,  and  there 
followed  in  1750  a  revision  of  the  entire 

^  On  the  other  hand,  a  touch  of  modernity  startles  us  ;  e.g., 
the  reading  "bankers,"  adopted  also  in  the  American  Re- 
vision, in  Matt.  xxv.  27. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     11 

Douay  Bible.  He  continued  to  revise  and  to 
edit  his  work  up  till  the  year  1777,  in  which 
he  published  a  sixth  edition  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. His  revision  of  the  Old  Testament,  as 
Cardinal  Newman  says,  ^^  issues  in  little 
short  of  a  new  translation. "  ^  ^  His  version, ' ' 
says  the  Cardinal,  ^^  is  even  nearer  to  the 
Protestant  than  it  is  to  the  Douay. ' '  ^  A 
simple  inspection  of  almost  any  passage  suf- 
fices to  prove  the  greatness  of  Challoner's 
obligations  to  the  Authorised  Version.  Hun- 
dreds of  verses  are  all  but  identical  in  the 
two  Bibles.  In  the  New  Testament,  his  obli- 
gations, though  not  so  obvious  as  in  the  Old 
Testament,  are  still  very  great.  Thus  the 
interesting  fact  emerges  that  many  dexter- 
ities and  felicities  of  Tindale  and  his  succes- 
sors have  enriched  the  Douay  Version.  So 
much,  indeed,  did  Dr.  Challoner  lean  upon 
King  James's  translators  that  he  has  unhap- 
pily appropriated,  with  much  that  is  good, 
some  elements  that  are  no  longer  regarded 
as  valid.    Not  infrequently  he  suffers  him- 

*  Tracts  Theological  and  Ecclesiastical,  p,  416. 


78      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

self  to  be  misled  into  forsaking  the  Vulgate 
and  miscorrecting  his  Rhemish  exemplar. 
In  scholarly  circles  within  the  Church  of 
Eome,  there  has  long  been  a  feeling  that 
acquiescence  in  the  present  confused  state 
of  the  Douay  text  is  little  short  of  a  scandal. 
Cardinal  Newman,  at  the  request  of  the 
English  Bishops,  undertook  the  work  of  re- 
vision, but  was  forced  to  abandon  the  task 
by  obscurantist  opposition.  This  signal 
victory  for  ignorance  and  stupidity  has  de- 
prived not  Eoman  Catholics  only,  but  the 
whole  of  Anglo-Saxon  Christendom  of  what 
would  have  been  a  permanent  enrichment  of 
our  common  Christianity,  achieved  as  it 
would  have  been  by  one  of  the  finest  religious 
spirits  as  well  as  one  of  the  greatest  masters 
of  English  in  the  nineteenth  century. 

In  spite,  however,  of  all  its  faults.  King 
James's  translators  found  in  it  a  rich  mine 
from  which  they  drew  abundantly,  to  the 
great  betterment  of  their  own  work — and  this 
though  it  was  not  specified  in  the  Rules 
drawn  up  for  their  guidance.     Only  recently 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     V9 

has  the  full  extent  of  their  indebtedness  come 
to  light.  ^^  Their  [King  James's  trans- 
lators] work/'  say  the  Anglo-American  Re- 
visers, ' '  shows  evident  traces  of  the  influence 
of  a  version  not  specified  in  the  Rules,  the 
Rhemish  made  from  the  Latin  Vulgate  but 
by  scholars  conversant  with  the  Greek 
original. ' '  ^  The  simple  fact  now  appears 
that  there  is  scarcely  a  page  of  the  Revised 
New  Testament  that,  through  the  Authorised 
Version,  does  not  bear  the  marks  of  Roman 
Catholic  scholarship.  Dr.  J.  G.  Carleton,  an 
Irish  scholar,  has  with  admirable  industry 
compiled  no  less  than  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  columns  of  passages  in  which  the 
Rhemish  and  Authorised  versions,  present- 
ing either  identical  or  similar  renderings, 
differ  from  earlier  translations.^  His  results 
have  been  tested  and  found  singularly  ac- 
curate. How  far  has  this  immense  debt  been 
carried  over  to  the  Revised  Version!  For 
the   sake   of  illustration,   let   us   select  the 

1  Preface  to  the  Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament,  1881, 
'  The  Part  of  Rheims  in  the  Making  of  the  English  Bible. 


80      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

Epistle  to  the  Philippians.  It  contains  one 
hundred  and  four  verses.  Now  if  we  com- 
pare these  in  the  Rhemish  Version  with  the 
earlier  versions  and  with  the  Revised,  we 
find  that  twenty-five  verses  or  about  one- 
fourth  of  the  entire  Epistle  have  been  in- 
fluenced by  the  Rhemish  through  the  Author- 
ised. Figures,  however,  do  not  enable  us  to 
realise  with  sufficient  vividness  our  literary 
obligations  to  the  exiles  of  Rheims.  With 
Dr.  Carleton's  help,  let  us  bring  together 
some  striking  illustrations. 

1.  Some  of  our  most  familiar  Biblical 
phrases — concise  and  weighty — are  to  be 
traced  back  to  their  literary  skill  and  close 
adherence  to  the  Vulgate.  The  following  are 
examples :  ^  ^  ^  Why,  what  evil  hath  he 
done?  '^  ^  ^^  The  one  shall  be  taken,  and  the 
other  shall  be  left. ' '  ^  ^  ^  The  son  of  per- 
dition.''*      **  Subverting      your      souls. 


11  5 


^  Comp.  also  Matt.  xxi.  16,  xxvi.,  65  ;  Luke  i.  25,  xxi.  25, 
xxiii.  11  ;  Acts  v.  33,  xxviii.  15  ;  Rom.  i.  10,  ii.  10,  xii.  16 ; 
Heb.  xii.  23. 

2  Matt,  xxvii.  23.  *  John  xvii.  12. 

3  Luke  xvii.  36.  "  Acts.  xv.  24. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     81 

It  The  goodness  and  severity  of  God."  ^ 
^  ^  Owe  no  man  anything. ' '  ^  "  The  ministry 
of  reconciliation. ' '  ^  *  ^  To  me  to  live  is 
Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain."  *  ''  Which  thing 
is  true  in  him  and  in  you. "  *  "  The  hidden 
manna. ' '  ^ 

2.  The  diction  of  the  Revisers,  as  of  King 
James's  translators,  owes  much  of  its  state- 
lines  s  and  dignity  to  the  introduction  of 
words  of  Latin  origin,  first  adopted  by  the 
Ehemists.  Thus  we  have  ''  malefactor  "  for 
''■  evil  doer,"  ^^  more  tolerable  "  for 
^'  easier,"  ''  vesture  "  for  ''  coat,"  ''  com- 
mandeth  "  for  ^'  setteth  out,"  ''  transla- 
ted "  for  "  was  taken  away,"  '^  justified  " 
for  ''  made  righteous,"  **  malignity  "  for 
' '  evil  condition. ' ' 

3.  Not  infrequently  the  Revisers  owe  a 
most  expressive  turn  to  Rhemish  literalisms, 
as,  for  example:^  '^  Be  it  far  from  thee  "  * 
(ahsit  a  te);  '^  God  was  not  well  pleased  "  * 

1  Rom.  xi.  22.        ^  j  john  jj  g. 

2  Rom.  xiii.  8.       «  Rev.  ii.  17. 

3 II  Cor.  V.  18.      '  See  also  Luke  x.  34,  xx.  34  ;  Mark  x.  52. 
4  Phil.  i.  21.  8  Matt.  xvi.  22.  » I  Ccr.  x.  5. 


82      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

(non  bene  placitum  est  Deo);  ""  to  make 
known  the  mystery  ''  ^  (notum  facer e  myste- 
rium);  ^'  a  conscience  void  of  [Rhemish, 
^^  without  ^']  offence''^  (sine  off'endiculo 
conscientiam).  Frequently  the  Latin  gives 
a  word  for  word  translation  of  a  Greek 
phrase,  and  the  Latin  being  closely  followed 
in  the  English,  we  have  happy  amendments 
of  all  preceding  versions.  Among  many  we 
note :  *  ^  pleasures  of  this  life  ' '  ^  for  the 
earlier  rendering,  * '  voluptuous  living  ' ' ; 
*  ^  living  water  ' '  *  for  ^  ^  water  of  life  " ;  ^  ^  up- 
braideth  not  '^  ^  (suggested  by  Wycliffe)  for 
^  ^  reproacheth  no  man  ^ ' ;  ^ '  every  weight  '  ^  ® 
for  **  all  that  presseth  down  ^';  ^'  profane 
person  "  ^  for  '^  unclean  person  '';  '^  bridleth 
not  ' '  ^  for  ^  *  ref raineth  not. ' ' 

4.  Then  again,  the  Eevisers  are  indebted 
to  the  excellent  Greek  scholarship  of  the 
Rhemists  for  improved  renderings  of  single 
words;  e.g.,  ^'  punishment  '^  for  *^  pain 
**  understanding  ''   for   ''  mind  '^  ;   ^*  soul 

1  Eph.  vi.  19.  *  John  iv.  10.  '  Heb.  xii.  16. 
"^  Acts  xxiv.  16.            5  James  i.  5.                 ^  J?mes  i.  26. 

2  Luke  viii.  14.  *  Heb.  xii.  1. 


KOMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     83 

for  *  *  thing  ' ' ;  *  *  straitened  ' '  for  *  *  pained  '  ^ ; 
*  ^  worshippers  ' '  for  ^  ^  offerers  " ;  *  ^  par- 
takers ' '  for  ^  *  companions  ' ' ;  *  *  reprove  ' ' 
for  **  improve." 

5.  The  Ehemish  Version,  owing  to  its  close 
dependence  on  the  Latin,  which  frequently 
reproduces  the  order  of  the  Greek,  brings  out 
more  distinctly  the  force  of  the  original  by 
placing  the  emphatic  word  first.  Some  good 
results  of  this  arrangement  have  found  a 
place  in  this  revision.  The  following  may  be 
mentioned :  ^  ^  ^  And  his  sisters,  are  they  not 
all  with  us  ?  ' '  ^  for  '  *  Are  not  all  his  sisters 
with  us?  "  ''  For  he  that  hath,  to  him  shall 
be  given  ' '  ^  instead  of  ^ '  For  unto  him  that 
hath  shall  it  be  given. "  ^  ^  The  rich  he  hath 
sent  empty  away  ' '  *  for  ^  ^  He  hath  sent  away 
the  rich  empty. ' '  *  *  On  earth  peace  ' '  ^  for 
**  peace  on  earth."  *^  This  man,  if  he  were  a 
prophet  ' '  ^  for  *  *  If  this  man  were  a  prophet, 
he." 

'  Comp.  also  Matt.  vii.  11,  xix.  6,  xxii.  10  ;  Mark  xv.  27  ; 
John  ix.  39,  xviii.  11  ;  II  Cor.  x.  17  ;  Eph.  v.  19  :  I  John 
ii.  12  ;  Rev.  ii.  7.  2  Matt.  xiii.  56.  ^  Mark  iv.  25. 

*  Luke  i.  53.  '  Luke  ii.  14.  «  Luke  vii.  39 


84      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

6.  Finally,  there  are  renderings  in  the 
Kevised  Version  inherited  through  the  Au- 
thorised, which,  though  not  exactly  identical 
with  those  in  the  Rhemish,  were  evidently 
moulded  on  them :  ^  ^  *  Before  whose  eyes  Jesus 
Christ  was  openly  set  forth  crucified  ' '  ^  was 
suggested  by  the  Rhemish  '^  Before  whose 
eyes  Jesus  Christ  was  proscribed  being 
crucified  among  you."  ''  Godliness  with 
contentment  is  great  gain  ' '  ^  is  an  echo  of 
the  Rhemish  *  *  Piety  with  sufficiency  is  great 
gain.''  *^  In  a  figure  transferred  to 
myself"*  was  influenced  by  the  Rhemish 
*'  transfigured  unto  myself." 

The  foregoing  is  an  extremely  inade- 
quate indication  of  the  generous  contribution 
which  Catholic  learning  has  made  to  our 
English  New  Testament.  For  fuller  proofs, 
the  reader  must  be  referred  to  the  painstak- 
ing pages  of  Dr.  Carleton.  Study  of  these 
proofs  will  make  clear  two  significant  facts. 

1  Comp.  also  Luke  xii.  49  ;  Acts  viii.  40,  xiv.  23  ;  I  Cor. 
xii.  3 ;  II  Pet.  ii.  6. 

2  Gal.  iii.  1.  3  j  Tim.  vi.  6.  *  I  Cor.  iv.  6. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CONTRIBUTION     86 

One  is  that  in  the  English  Eevision  the  Vul- 
gate has  at  last  come  to  its  own.  At  first 
understood  and  prized  by  the  mass  of 
Western  Christians,  then  throughout  the 
Middle  Ages  relegated  to  the  background  as 
the  mediatorial  functions  of  Church  and  sac- 
raments came  more  and  more  to  fill  the 
Christian  consciousness,  then  in  the  Eefor- 
mation  period  overestimated  by  Roman  Cath- 
olic divines  and  underestimated  by  their 
Eeformed  opponents,  it  has,  since  the  seven- 
teenth century,  taken  to  itself  a  new  lease 
of  power  and  entered  as  a  permanent  element 
into  the  life  and  thought  of  Anglo-Saxon 
Christianity.  ^'  It  is  to  the  Vulgate,''  as  has 
been  pointed  out  recently,  ^'  that  the  English 
Bible  owes  the  richness  of  its  music  and  the 
expressive  beat  of  its  rhythm,"  ^  And  the 
direct  contribution  of  the  Latin  to  the  Eng- 
lish, which  we  have  just  tried  to  describe, 
mediated  through  the  Rhemish  text,  is  only 
a  portion  of  the  debt,  for  we  must  remember 
that  Tindale,  Coverdale,  and  the  makers  of 

1  Gardiner,  The  Bible  as  English  Literature,  p.  302. 


86      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

the  Genevan  version  were  familiar  with  the 
phrasing  and  the  style  of  the  Vulgate  and 
could  not  but  transfer  much  of  these  to  their 
translations.^  The  other  fact  is  that  the 
Eoman  Catholic  translation,  put  forth  pro- 
fessedly as  a  counterblast  to  the  reformed 
versions,  has  gained  its  greatest  success,  not 
directly  but  indirectly,  by  giving  up  its  best 
elements  to  enrich  the  offspring  of  its  ancient 
rivals.  Its  own  history  has  been  a  narrow 
and  contracted  thing,  but  it  has  gained  the 
power  of  a  larger  life  through  its  influence 
on  later  versions — one  of  those  curious  little 
ironies  which  once  and  again  surprise  the 
historian  of  the  English  Bible.  It  is  as  if,  in 
the  task  of  giving  the  Scriptures  to  the  peo- 
ple, a  divinity  has  been  at  work  shaping 
human  ends  for  other  than  men  dreamed  and 
making  a  mock  at  our  ecclesiastical  and  dog- 
matic bigotries. 

1  See  Note  C,  Appendix. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  CONTRIBUTION  OF  THE  AUTHORISED  VERSION 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  theologian-king, 
James  I.,  on  his  accession,  was  to  summon  a 
Conference  at  Hampton  Court  to  consider  the 
Puritan  grievances  as  outlined  in  the  Millen- 
ary Petition;  but  the  iron  of  Scottish  Calvin- 
ism had  entered  the  soul  of  James  and  the  de- 
bate was  foredoomed  to  failure.  Yet  though 
abortive  in  all  else,  it  proved  the  occasion,  if 
not  the  cause,  of  one  of  the  greatest  events 
of  modern  history,  the  birth  of  that  version 
which  for  well-nigh  three  centuries  has 
moulded  the  religious  diction,  shaped  the 
theology,  inspired  the  ideals  of  the  vast  ma- 
jority of  English-speaking  people,  and  still 
exercises  its  ancient  sway  with  almost  un- 
abated prestige.  It  is  to  the  leader  of  the 
Puritans,  Dr.  Reynolds,  President  of  Corpus 
Christi  College,  Oxford,  that  the  glory  be- 

87 


88      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

longs  of  having  dropped  a  seed  into  the  royal 
mind,  which  was  to  burst  into  such  flower  and 
fruit.  The  demand  for  a  new  Bible  formed 
no  part  of  the  original  Puritan  programme, 
but  it  happened  that  incidentally  in  the  course 
of  an  address  Dr.  Eeynolds  complained  of 
the  current  versions  as  *  *  corrupt  and  not  an- 
swerable to  the  truth  of  the  original,''  and 
cited  three  mistranslations — all  from  the 
Bishops'  Bible.^  Later  it  would  appear  that 
the  Puritans  joined  in  the  demand  of  their 
leader  for  a  new  translation  on  the  ground 
that  the  Prayer  Book  Psalter  contained  mis- 
rendered  passages. 

The  suggestion  of  a  new  version  kindled 
the  King's  imagination.  Proud  of  his  theo- 
logical learning,  averse  to  the  popular  and 
democratic  Genevan  translation,  enamoured 
of  the  thought  of  having  his  name  identified 
with  a  Bible,  which,  owing  to  the  advancing 
scholarship  of  the  time,  might  outshine  all 
rivals  in  faithfulness  to  the  original  and  in 
literary  form,  he  determined  to  let  nothing 

*  Cardwell,  History  of  Conferences,  p.  187. 


THE  AUTHORISED  VERSION  89 

stand  in  the  way  of  the  great  project.  A 
scheme  of  action  was  speedily  outlined.  The 
revision  was  to  be  undertaken  by  the  '^  best 
learned  in  the  universities  '';  it  was  then  to 
pass  under  the  review  of  the  church  leaders ; 
and  finally  was  to  be  approved  by  the  Privy 
Council  and  the  King  himself.  Among  the 
instructions  drawn  up  for  the  guidance  of  the 
Revisers  were  the  following:  ''  The  ordinary 
Bible  read  in  the  Church,  commonly  called 
the  Bishops'  Bible,  to  be  followed  and  as  lit- 
tle altered  as  the  truth  of  the  original  will 
admit.''  '^  These  translations  to  be  used 
when  they  agree  better  with  the  text  than  the 
Bishops'  Bible:  Tindale's,  Matthew's,  Cov- 
erdale's,  Whitchurch's  (the  Great  Bible), 
Geneva."  In  actual  practice,  however,  the 
Revisers  appear  to  have  corrected  the 
Bishops '  text  by  reference  to  the  Hebrew  and 
Greek,  and  to  have  made  but  slight  use  of 
the  other  versions  named,  except,  as  we  have 
seen,  the  Genevan.  The  Rhemish  New  Testa- 
ment published  by  Dr.  William  Fulke  in 
parallel  columns  with  the  second  edition  of 


90      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

the  Bishops'  Bible,  attracted  their  attention, 
and,  as  has  been  shown,  was  laid  under  heavy- 
contribution. 

This  is  practically  all  we  know  about  the 
sources  of  the  royal  version.  It  is  by  no 
means  impossible  that  some  day  a  copy  of  the 
Bishops'  Bible  used  for  purposes  of  correc- 
tion by  one  or  other  of  the  Kevisers  will  turn 
up.  Such  a  discovery  would  dissipate  much 
of  the  obscurity  that  at  present  rests  upon 
the  influences  that  have  gone  to  the  making 
of  this  time-honoured  translation. 

As  to  the  method  by  which  the  revision  was 
made,  very  little  is  known.  **  Never  was  a 
great  enterprise,"  says  Scrivener,  ^*  like  the 
production  of  our  Authorised  Version  car- 
ried out  with  less  knowledge  handed  down  to 
posterity  of  the  labourers,  their  method  and 
order  of  working. ' '  ^  The  Eevisers  originally 
numbered  fifty-four.  Of  these,  the  names  of 
only  forty-seven  have  been  preserved.  They 
were  unquestionably  among  the  best  scholars 
of  their  day.    We  may  note  especially  An- 

1  The  Authorised  Edition  of  the  English  Bible,  p.  9. 


THE  AUTHORISED  VERSION  91 

drews,  whose  Manual  of  Devotions  is  still 
a  classic;  Lively,  *^  one  of  the  best  lin- 
guists in  the  world";  Eeynolds,  ^^  a  very 
treasury  of  erudition  ' ' ;  Killbye,  ^  *  another 
Apollos  '^;  Downes,  ^^  composed  of  Greek  and 
industry  '^;  Miles  Smith,  the  reputed  author 
of  the  intensely  interesting  Preface  to  the 
Version,  '^  who  had  Hebrew  at  his  fingers' 
ends  '';  and  Harmer,  ^'  a  most  noted  Latin- 
ist,  Grecian,  and  Divine."  They  were  di- 
vided into  six  companies,  two  sitting  at  West- 
minster, two  at  Cambridge,  and  two  at  Ox- 
ford. A  portion  of  the  Bible  was  allotted  to 
each  group.  As  soon  as  any  company  had 
finished  the  translation  of  a  book,  it  was  sent 
to  all  the  others  for  their  suggestions;  and 
when  the  whole  Bible  was  completed,  it  passed 
under  a  final  revision  at  the  hands  of  six  or 
twelve  of  the  leading  members  of  the  different 
companies.  This  last  review,  however,  ap- 
pears, from  internal  evidence  and  from  the 
scanty  time  spent  on  it,  to  have  been  of  a 
very  perfunctory  character.  Selden,  the 
great  contemporary  lawyer  and  scholar^  in- 


p2      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

dicates  their  mode  of  working;  ^'  That  part 
of  the  Bible  was  given  to  him  who  was  most 
excellent  in  such  a  tongue.  .  .  .  And  then 
they  met  together  and  one  read  the  transla- 
tion, the  rest  holding  in  their  hands  some 
Bible,  either  of  the  learned  tongues  or  French, 
Spanish,  Italian,  etc.  If  they  found  any  fault, 
they  spoke ;  if  not,  he  read  on. ' '  ^ 

The  entire  work  occupied  two  years  and 
nine  months.  We  have  but  to  compare  this 
period  with  the  ten  and  a  half  years  given  to 
the  New  Testament  and  the  fourteen  years 
given  to  the  Old  Testament  in  the  revision  of 
our  own  time  to  realise  what  an  immense 
stride  has  been  taken  in  the  conception  of 
what  a  Bible  translation  ought  to  be. 

The  Authorised  Version  appeared  in  1611.^ 
It  bears  on  its  face  the  signs  of  its  genealogy ; 
'  ^  for  while  it  has  the  fulness  of  the  Bishops ' 
without  its  frequent  literalisms  or  its  re- 
peated supplements,  it  has  the  graceful  vigour 

1  Table  Talk,  Chap.  V,  Sect.  2. 

*  Efforts  were  made  to  standardise  the  version  in  1638 
and  1762.  Our  modern  text  is  tliat  published  under  the  ed- 
itorship of  Dr.  Blaney  at  Oxford  in  1769. 


THE  AUTHORISED  VERSION  93 

of  the  Genevan,  the  quiet  grandeur  of  the 
Great  Bible,  the  clearness  of  Tindale,  the  har- 
monies of  Coverdale,  and  the  stately  theolog- 
ical vocabulary  of  the  Eheims. ' '  ^  May  we 
not  add  that  it  has  been  reserved  for  the  Re- 
vised Version  of  our  time,  while  heir  of  all 
these  excellences,  to  excel  in  thoroughness  of 
scholarship  and  in  loyalty  to  the  sacred 
originals!  But  considered  as  literature, 
noble  thought  nobly  expressed,  this  legacy 
from  the  seventeenth  century  stands,  as  all 
confess,  supreme.  Indeed,  in  more  than  one 
passage,  it  is  superior  as  literature  to  the 
original.  Our  modern  Revisers  would  seek 
to  '^  increase  its  fidelity  without  destroying 
its  charm  '^  and  to  bear  witness  to  ''  its  sim- 
plicity, its  dignity,  its  power,  its  happy  turns 
of  expression,  its  general  accuracy  .  .  .  and 
the  music  of  its  cadences  and  the  felicities  of 
its  rhythm.''^  Yet  it  has  its  defects,  which, 
as  springing  out  of  its  historical  situation, 
were  more  a  misfortune  than  a  fault.     The 

1  Eadie,  The  English  Bible,  Vol.  II,  p.  226. 

2  Preface  to  the  1881  edition. 


94      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

uncritical  and  corrupt  character  of  the  Greek 
text  which  was  then  accepted ;  ^  ignorance  of 
primitive  versions  except  the  Vulgate  in  a 
debased  form;  imperfect  acquaintance  with 
the  finer  shades  of  Greek  and  Hebrew;  a 
tendency  to  a  too  precise  definition  in  matters 
of  dogma;  a  slurring  over  of  distinctions 
marked  in  the  original ;  a  want  of  uniformity 
in  rendering;  a  use  of  diction  which  in  the 
intervening  centuries  has  become  obsolete  and 
in  some  instances  repellent, — such  are  some 
of  its  undoubted  weaknesses.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  forms  a  mosaic  of  all  that  was  best 
in  the  work  of  preceding  translators,  and  this 
inherited  wealth  has  been  poured  into  the  lap 
of  our  modern  Eevisers.  But  this  is  not  all. 
The   royal   translators   improved   upon  the 

1  The  basal  text  used  was  that  of  the  third  and  fourth 
editions  of  Erasmus's  Greek  Testament,  and  this  in  turn 
was  based  on  late  manuscripts.  In  the  Old  Testament  the 
translators  had  the  ordinary  Hebrew  text.  They  were 
influenced  by  the  Vulgate  and  Septuagint — both  in  the  tradi- 
tional text — and  by  the  Latin  translations  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ments of  the  Antwerp  Polyglot,  and  of  Tremellius.  They 
consulted  also,  Luther,  the  Zurich  Bible,  and  the  Genevan 
French  Bible. 


THE  AUTHORISED  VERSION 


95 


work  of  their  predecessors,  and  many  of  these 
improvements  have  stood  the  test  of  time. 
The  following  may  be  cited. 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

*  "  The  kings  of  the  earth 
set  themselves." 

2  "  Day  unto  day  uttereth 
speech." 


' "  And  rejoiceth  as  a 
strong  man." 

*  "  My  foot  standeth  in  an 
even  place." 


'  *  "  Thou    art    my    hiding- 
place." 

• "  As    the    hart    panteth 
after  the  water  brooks." 


•'  "  Deep 
deep." 


calleth       unto 


«  "  When  my  heart  is  over- 
whelmed." 


»  Ps.  ii.  2. 

*  Ps.  xix.  2. 

*  Ps.  xix.  5. 


*  Ps.  xxvi.  12. 
'  Ps.  xxxii.  7. 
•Ps.  xlii.  1. 


PRECEDING      VERSIONS 

"The  kings  of  the  earth 
stand  up "  or  "  band  them- 
selves." 

"One  day  telleth  an- 
other" or  "A  day  oc- 
casioneth  talk  thereof  unto 
a  day." 

"Rejoiceth  as  a  giant" 
or  "like  a  mighty  man." 

"  My  foot  standeth  right  " 
or  "standeth  upon  a  plain 
ground "  or  "  standeth  in 
uprightness." 

"  Thou  art  my  refuge " 
or  "Thou  art  a  place  to 
hide  me  in." 

"As  the  hart  brayeth  for 
the  rivers  of  water "  or 
"Like  as  the  hart  desireth 
the  water  brooks." 

"One  deep  calleth  an- 
other deep"  or  "One  deep 
calleth   another." 

"Is  in  heaviness"  or  "  ia 
in     trouble"     or     "is     op- 


T  Ps.  xlii.  7. 
«  Ps.  Ixi.  2. 


96      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 


AUTHORISED      VERSION      PRECEDING      VERSIONS 


1  "  The  pastures  are 
clothed  with  flocks." 

2  "  The  earth  saw,  and 
trembled." 

3  "  A  man  of  sorrows." 

*  "  We  are  not  saved." 
5  "  Walk     humbly     with 
thy  God." 

^  "  For  he  is  like  a  re- 
finer's fire." 

■^  "  All  things  were  made 
by  him." 

8 "  All  things  work  to- 
gether for  good." 

«  "  That  ye  all  speak  the 
same  thing,  and  that  there 
be  no  divisions  among  you." 

1°  "  I  determined  not  to 
know  any  thing  among  you, 
save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him 
crucified." 

11 "  He  that  is  spiritual 
judgeth  all  things." 

12  "  Stewards  of  the  mys- 
teries of  God." 


"The  folds  shall  be  full 
of  sheep  "  or  "  The  pastures 
are  clad  with  sheep." 

"  The  earth  saw  it,  and 
was   afraid." 

"  A  man  full  of  "  or  "  as 
is  full  of  sorrows." 

"We   are    not    helped." 

."  Walk    in    humbleness." 

"Like  a  purging  fire"  or 
"like  a  goldsmith's  fire." 
"Made  by  it." 

"For  the  best." 

"  That  ye  speak  one  thing, 
and  that  there  be  no  dis- 
sensions among  you." 

"  I  esteemed  not  to  know 
any  thing "  or  "  Neither 
showed  I  myself  that  I 
knew  any  thing." 

"  Discerneth  all  things  '* 
or   "  discusseth   all   things." 

"  Disposers  of  the  secrets 
of  God"  or  "Stewards  of 
the  secrets  of  God." 


1  Ps.  Ixv.  13. 
2Ps.  xcvii.  4. 
3  Isa.  liii.  3. 
*  Jer.  viii.  20. 


5  Mic.  vi.  8, 
«  Mai.  iii.  2. 
'  John  i.  3. 
8  Rom.  viii.  28, 


9  I  Cor.  i.  10. 

10  I  Cor.  ii.  2 . 

11  I  Cor.  ii.  15. 

12  I  Cor.  iv.  1. 


THE  AUTHORISED  VERSION  97 


AUTHORISED    VERSION 

1 "  For    we    are    made    a 
spectacle  unto  the  world." 
2  "A  promise  being  left." 
3'  "  The  sin  which  doth  so 
easily  beset  us." 

4  "  Joy     unspeakable   and 
full  of  glory." 


PRECEDING    VERSION 

"  A  gazing  stock  unto  the 
world." 

"  Forsaking  the  promise." 

"  That  hangeth  so  fast  on 
us "  or  "  that  hangeth  on 
us." 

"  Joy  unspeakable  and 
glorious." 


In  these  and  in  many  other  passages,  the 
improvement  is  effected  by  a  change  in  a  word 
or  two ;  ^  but,  in  addition,  there  are  entire 
clauses  and  sentences,  the  independent  work 
of  the  Authorised  Eevisers,  which  have 
passed  unscathed  the  critical  tests  of  modern 
scholarship.  Here  are  a  few  examples:  *'  Ye 
shall  not  surely  die  ";  ^  ^'  Thou  hast  asked  a 
hard  thing  " ;  ^  '  ^  acquainted  with  grief  '  ^ ;  * 
''  lest  they  trample  them  under  their  feet, 
and  turn  again  and  rend  you  '';  ^  ^^  Behold  a 
man  gluttonous,  and  a  winebibber  '';  ^^  ^^  and 
I  will  give  rest  "; ''  ''  And  if  children,  then 

1 1    Cor.  iv.  9  6  Gen.  iii.  4.  ^Isa.  liii.  3. 

2Heb.  iv.  1.  ■»  II    Kings  ii.  10.       »  Matt.  vii.  6. 

8  Heb.  xii.  1.  i°  Matt.  xi.  19. 

*I   Pet.  i.  8.  uMatt.  xi.  28. 

*Comp.  Prov.  iii.  17;  Isa.  ix.  5;  Matt.  vi.  2;  xxiii.  27; 
Luke  xii.  50;  Acts  i.  4;  Rom.  xiii.  12;  I   Cor.  vii.  35. 


98      MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

heirs  ' ' ;  ^  *  *  to  be  conformed  to  the  image 
of  his  Son  ' ' ;  ^  *  *  came  not  with  excellency  of 
speech  " ;  ^  ''  For  whether  we  be  beside  our- 
selves, it  is  to  God  '»;  *  ^^  And  be  ye  kind  one 
to  another  '';  ^  ^'  godliness  with  contentment 
is  great  gain  '';^ ''  the  blessed  Potentate  '';  ^ 
*  *  put  him  to  an  open  shame. ' '  ^ 

Moreover  it  is  worth  noting  that  many  of 
the  Authorised  marginal  renderings  have 
been  transferred  by  our  Eevisers  to  the  text. 
Thus,  for  example,  we  have:  ^^  One  lot  for 
Jehovah,  and  the  other  lot  for  Asazel'';^ 
**  the  baptism  of  repentance  unto  remission 
of  sins  '';  ^°  ^'  except  they  wash  their  hands 
diligently  '' ;  ^^  "  How  long  dost  thou  hold  us 
in  suspense  ";  '^^  "  a  Son,  perfected  for  ever- 
more.'' ^^ 

Speaking  broadly,  about  eight-ninths  of  the 
words  of  the  New  Testament  have  been  taken 
over  from  the  Authorised  to  the  Kevised  Ver- 

iRom.  viii.  17.  «I   Tim.  vi.  6.  "Mar.  i.  4. 

2 Rom.  viii.  29.  'I   Tim.  vi.  15.  uMar.  vii.  3. 

3  1   Cor.  ii.  1.  8Heb.  vi.  6.  isHeb.  vii.  28. 

411    Cor.  V.  13.  »Lev.  xvi.  8.  isjohnx.  24, 
6Eph.  iv.  32. 


THE  AUTHORISED  VERSION  99 

sion,  and  the  proportion  is  still  greater  in 
the  Old  Testament.  As  we  have  seen,  the 
Authorised  Version  itself  is  a  mosaic  formed 
of  nearly  all  that  was  best  in  previous  transla- 
tions, and  yet  the  striking  fact  is  that,  amid 
thousands  of  minute  changes,  the  Eevisers 
have  so  assimilated  the  new  elements  to  the 
old,  so  baptised,  as  it  were,  their  work  into 
the  spirit  and  power  of  the  Authorised  text, 
that  the  differences  are  scarcely  realised  by 
the  average  reader. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE     CONTRIBUTIOIT     OF     THE     ANGLO-AMERICAN 
REVISION 

If  it  be  asked,  Wliat  were  the  forces  which 
have  called  into  being  a  Revised  Bible  in  our 
time,  meant  to  supersede  a  version  so  rich  in 
honour  and  dignity,  so  rooted  in  popular  af- 
fection and  associated  with  the  great  crises 
of  Anglo-Saxon  history  as  the  Authorised! 
the  answer  is :  the  new  scientific  knowledge  of 
the  sacred  tongues  gained  in  the  intervening 
centuries,  together  with  the  higher  ideals  of 
a  translator's  duty  demanded  by  a  more 
delicate  literary  conscience.  The  true  though 
remote  fountain-head  of  the  Revision  of  the 
New  Testament,  as  Bishop  Ellicott,  our 
greatest  authority  on  matters  pertaining  to 
the  Revision,  reminds  us,  was  Winer's  Gram- 
mar of  the  Language  of  the  New  Testament ^ 

100 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION    101 

published  in  1822/  A  succession  of  com- 
mentaries, embodying  the  results  of  the  new- 
Biblical  learning  and  amending  the  Author- 
ised Version,  gradually  educated  the  clergy, 
and,  through  them,  the  laity,  in  the  necessity 
for  some  authoritative  revision  of  what  was 
proved  to  be  a  faulty  translation.  Besides,  a 
vast  mass  of  manuscript  unknown  in  King 
James's  day  is  now  accessible  to  scholars. 
Through  the  labours  of  a  long  line  of  students, 
from  Griesbach  to  Westcott  and  Hort,  the 
mass  has  been  explored  and  a  clue  to  its 
mazes  discovered.  Our  own  age  is  especially 
rich  in  fresh  finds  and  in  new  insight  into  old 
materials.  Only  a  few  years  ago  was  pub- 
lished in  facsimile  the  Codex  Vaticanus,  the 
oldest  and  most  valuable  of  all  the  manu- 
scripts. Its  rival  in  age,  the  Codex  Sinaiti- 
cus,  was  discovered  in  1844,  while  about  the 
same  time  the  Curetonian  SyriaCy  a  version 
of  the  second  century  in  a  manuscript  belong- 

^  Addresses,  etc.,  p.  8.  What  Winer  did  for  the  New, 
Gesenius,  by  his  Hebrew  Grammar  (1813),  did  for  the  Old 
Testament. 


102    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

ing  to  the  fifth,  was  brought  to  light.  In  ad- 
dition, many  manuscripts  were  collated  and  a 
more  penetrating  study  made  of  the  Vulgate, 
Septuagint,  and  other  versions. 

Gradually,  as  the  result  of  this  new  knowl- 
edge, a  movement  looking  toward  revision 
began  to  spread.  During  the  three  years 
1856-1858,  no  less  than  twenty  works  ap- 
peared dealing  with  the  question.^  Public 
opinion  was  gradually  leavened,  and  in  spite 
of  opposition  the  feeling  that  something 
practical  ought  to  be  done  could  not  be  sup- 
pressed. The  first  step  was  taken  in  the 
Upper  House  of  Convocation  of  Canterbury 
on  February  10,  1870,  when  a  proposal  was 
carried  to  appoint  a  committee  to  report  upon 
the  advisableness  of  a  revision.  A  few 
months  later,  a  Joint  Committee  of  both 
houses  was  elected  and  equipped  with  instruc- 
tions for  the  task  of  revision  and  with 
authority  to  invite  other  Anglican  and  non- 
Anglican  scholars  to  cooperate.    This  Com- 

*  Comp.  Trench,  The  Revision  of  the  'New  Testament,  pp. 
188,  189. 


THE  ANGLO-AMEEICAN  REVISION    103 

mittee  in  turn  formed  two  Companies,  one  for 
the  Old  and  one  for  the  New  Testament;  the 
former  having  twenty-seven  and  the  latter 
twenty-six  members,  all  belonging  to  the 
United  Kingdom.  The  actual  work  was  be- 
gun June  22, 1870. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  enterprise,  it 
was  felt  that  the  cooperation  of  American 
Biblical  scholars  was  desirable  and  neces- 
sary.^ What  was  aimed  at  was  an  inter- 
national work  meant  for  Anglo-Saxon  Chris- 
tendom. Hence  in  July,  1870,  both  houses  of 
Convocation  agreed  to  invite  the  "  coopera- 
tion of  some  American  divines.^'  Communi- 
cations were  opened  with  several  scholars, 
and,  as  Dr.  Philip  SchafP,  himself  an  active 
agent  in  the  negotiations,  informs  us,  a  com- 
mittee consisting  of  about  thirty  members 
was  formally  organised  on  December  7,  1871, 
and  entered  on  active  work  on  October  4, 

1  Among  the  American  Revisers  were  SehaflF,  Thayer, 
Abbot,  Crosby,  Haekett,  Green,  Chambers,  Dwight,  Osgood, 
and  Day.  Among  the  British  Revisers  were  Westeott,  Hort, 
Scrivener,  Lightfoot,  Ellieott,  Trench,  Alford,  Stanley,  Mil- 
ligan,  Moulton,  Cheyne,  Davidson,   and  Plmnptre. 


104    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

1872,  after  the  first  revision  of  the  Synoptic 
Gospels  was  received  from  England.  The 
work  passed  through  five  revisions  before  it 
was  given  to  the  world.  Bishop  Ellicott,  the 
Chairman  of  the  British  New  Testament 
Company,  gives  an  interesting  description  of 
the  Eevisers '  mode  of  procedure : 

*  ^  The  verse  on  which  we  were  engaged  was 
read  by  the  Chairman.  The  first  question 
asked  was  whether  there  was  any  difference 
of  reading  in  the  Greek  text  which  required 
our  consideration.  If  there  was  none,  we 
proceeded  with  the  second  part  of  our  work, 
the  consideration  of  the  rendering.  If  there 
was  a  reading  in  the  Greek  text  that  de- 
manded our  consideration,  it  was  at  once  dis- 
cussed and  commonly  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  Dr.  Scrivener  stated  briefly  the  authori- 
ties, whether  manuscripts,  ancient  versions, 
or  patristic  citations,  of  which  details  most 
of  us  were  already  aware.  If  this  alteration 
was  one  for  which  the  evidence  was  patently 
and  decidedly  preponderating,  it  was  at  once 
adopted  and  the  work  went  onward.    If,  how- 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION   105 

ever,  it  was  a  case  where  it  was  doubtful 
whether  the  evidence  for  the  alteration  was 
thus  decidedly  preponderating,  then  a  discus- 
sion, often  long,  interesting,  and  instructive, 
followed.  Dr.  Hort,  if  present  (and  he  was 
seldom  absent;  only  forty -five  times  out  of 
four  hundred  and  seven  meetings),  always 
took  part,  and  finally  the  vote  was  taken  and 
the  suggested  alteration  either  adopted  or  re- 
jected. If  adopted,  due  note  was  taken  by 
the  Secretary,  and  if  it  was  thought  a  case  for 
a  margin,  the  competing  reading  was  therein 
specified.  If  there  was  a  plain  difficulty  of 
coming  to  a  decision  and  the  passage  was  one 
of  real  importance,  the  decision  was  not  un- 
commonly postponed  to  a  subsequent  meeting 
and  notice  duly  given  to  all  the  members  of 
the  Company.  (The  work  was  then  commu- 
nicated to  the  American  Company.)  Our 
work,  with  the  American  criticisms  and  sug- 
gestions, had  then  to  undergo  the  second  re- 
vision. The  greater  part  of  the  decisions  re- 
lating to  the  text  that  were  arrived  at  in  the 
five  revisions  were  accepted  as  final,  but  many 


106    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

were  reopened  at  the  second  revision,  and  the 
critical  experience  of  the  Company,  neces- 
sarily improved  as  it  had  been  by  the  first  re- 
vision, finally  tested  by  the  two-thirds  major- 
ity the  reopened  decisions  which  at  the  first 
revision  had  been  carried  by  simple  major- 
ities. The  results  of  this  second  revision 
were  then,  in  accordance  with  the  agreement, 
communicated  to  the  American  Company ;  but 
in  the  sequel,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  list  of  the 
final  differences  between  ourselves  and  the 
American  Company,  the  critical  differences 
were  but  few  and,  so  far  as  I  can  remember, 
of  no  serious  importance."  ^ 

The  guiding  principle  of  the  Eevisers  was 
that  of  the  utmost  faithfulness  to  the  original 
texts.  If,  without  trenching  on  this  cardinal 
principle,  they  could  secure  rhythm  or  a  tell- 
ing phrase,  they  were  the  better  pleased;  but 
no  consideration  of  a  literary  or  aesthetic 
kind  was  allowed  to  hinder  the  strictest  ap- 
plication of  the  canons  of  criticism  to  the  fix- 
ing of  the  text  and  the  correct  rendering  of  it. 

*  Addresses,  etc.,  pp.  66-70, 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION   107 

Believing,  moreover,  that  the  Bible  is  the 
charter  of  the  Christian  faith,  they  conceived 
it  to  be  their  duty  to  let  its  voice  go  forth 
unaffected  by  ecclesiastical  or  dogmatic  prej- 
udice. Nearly  all  the  Eevisers  were  Trini- 
tarians; yet  they  reject  a  famous  proof -text 
for  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.^  Believing 
in  the  inspiration  and  authority  of  the  Bible, 
they  yet  mark  as  later  additions  passages 
which  for  ages  have  been  accepted  as  authen- 
tic.^ Nor  does  their  belief  in  the  divinity  of 
Christ  lead  them  to  spare  the  traditional  con- 
version of  the  eunuch  or  the  ascription  of 
Godhood  to  the  Savior  in  one  of  the  Epistles.' 
The  Eevisers'  handling  of  the  text  to  be 
translated  was  characterised  by  mingled  bold- 
ness and  caution.  The  autographs  of  an  Isa- 
iah or  a  Saint  Paul  have,  of  course,  long  since 
perished  beyond  recall,  and  the  question  con- 
fronting the  Eevisers  was :  How  are  we  to  re- 
cover, if  not  their  every  word  and  syllable,  at 
least  the  closest  approximation  to  them  now 

*  I   John  V.  7.       '  Mark  xvi.  9-20;  John  vii.  53-viii.  11. 
*Acts  viii.  37:  I   Tim.  iii.  16. 


108    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

possible!  As  regards  the  Old  Testament, 
they  answered  this  question  by  simply  taking 
the  text  as  we  have  it  in  our  ordinary  Hebrew 
Bible.  They  were  compelled  to  do  so,  for  no 
known  Hebrew  manuscript  is  older  than  the 
tenth  century,  nor  does  any  differ  essentially 
from  the  printed  text.  This  text  is  itself  a 
recension  of  a  still  earlier  one,  and  was  set- 
tled in  all  probability  before  the  Christian 
era.  To  help  reach  its  more  primitive  form, 
we  have  the  ancient  versions,  more  especially 
the  Septuagint,  dating  from  about  the  second 
century  b.c.  But  these  versions  are  them- 
selves so  corrupt  that  reconstruction  of  the 
Hebrew  on  their  basis  was  found  impossible. 
Hence,  except  in  a  few  instances,  the  Revisers 
kept  to  the  Massoretic  text,  putting  into  the 
margin  probable  or  important  alternative 
readings.  With  the  New  Testament  the  case 
is  far  different.  Here  the  Revisers  were  face 
to  face  with  a  vast  number  of  manuscripts, 
some  of  them  dating  from  the  fourth  century, 
with  quotations  from  the  early  Fathers  and 
with  ancient  versions.  Out  of  these  materials 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION    109 

they  formed  a  Greek  text  for  themselves,  tak- 
ing each  reading  on  its  merits  and  assuming 
that  the  oldest  manuscript,  as  coming  nearest 
the  originals,  deserved  to  have  a  preponderat- 
ing authority.  For  the  first  time  in  the  long 
history  of  the  English  Bible,  we  have  a  trans- 
lation of  the  New  Testament  based  on  all 
available  sources — ancient  manuscripts,  pa- 
tristic citations,  and  early  versions.  It  follows 
that  many  changes,  some  of  them  startling  to 
the  ordinary  reader,  have  been  introduced. 
These  changes  have  arisen  mainly  through  a 
change  of  reading  in  the  Greek  text,  the  cor- 
rection of  wrong  translations,  the  more  exact 
rendering  of  ambiguous  passages,  the  substi- 
tution of  modern  for  archaic  terms,  the  clear- 
ing up  of  verbal  obscurities,  the  more  uniform 
rendering  of  the  same  words  in  the  original, 
and  finally  the  general  modernisation  of  the 
language  so  as  to  avoid  phrases  and  words 
offensive  to  present-day  taste  and  feeling. 

As  illustrations  of  a  more  correct  transla- 
tion, we  may  compare  the  following  passages 
in  the  Authorised  and  in  the  Revised  Texts : 


110    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

Hosea  xiii.  14.  O  death,  I 
will  be  thy  plague;  O  grave, 
I  will  be  thy  destruction. 

Isa.  xlix.  6.  It  is  a  light 
thing  that  thou  shouldest  be 
my  servant. 

Isa.  lix.  19.  When  the 
enemy  shall  come  in  like  a 
flood,  the  spirit  of  the  Lord 
shall  lift  up  a  standard 
against  him. 

Isa.  Ix.  5.  Then  thou 
shalt  see,  and  flow  together. 

Isa.  Ixi.  8.  I  hate  rob- 
bery for  burnt  offering:  and 
I  will  direct  their  work  in 
truth. 

Isa.  Ixiii.  6.  And  I  will 
bring  down  their  strength 
to  the  earth. 

Isa.  ixiv.  4.  For  since  the 
beginning  of  the  world  men 
have  not  heard,  nor  per- 
ceived by  the  ear,  neither 
hath  the  eye  seen,  O  God, 
beside  thee,  what  he  hath 
prepared  for  him  that 
waiteth  for  him. 

Isa.  xi.  1.  And  there 
shall  come  forth  a  rod  out 
of  the  stem  of  Jesse,  and  a 
branch  shall  grow  out  of  his 
roots. 


REVISED  VERSION 

O  death,  where  are  thy 
plagues?  O  grave,  where  is 
thy  destruction? 

It  is  too  light  a  thing  that 
thou  shouldest  be  my 
servant. 

For  he  shall  come  as  a  rush- 
ing stream  which  the  breath 
of  the  Lord  driveth. 


Then  thou  shalt  see,  and 
be  lightened. 

I  hate  robbery  with  ini- 
quity, and  I  will  give  their 
recompense  in  truth. 

And  I  poured  out  their  life- 
blood  on  the  earth. 

For  from  of  old  men  have 
not  heard,  nor  perceived  by 
the  ear,  neither  hath  the 
eye  seen  a  God  beside  thee, 
which  worketh  for  him  that 
waiteth  for  him. 


And  there  shall  come 
forth  a  shoot  out  of  the 
stock  of  Jesse,  and  a  branch 
out  of  his  roots  shall  bear 
fruit. 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION    111 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

Ps.  vii.  11.  God  judge th 
the  righteous,  and  God  is 
angry  with  the  wicked  every 
day. 

Ps.  xviii.  5.  The  sorrows 
of  hell  compassed  me  about ; 
the  snares  of  death  pre- 
vented me. 


REVISED  VERSION 

God  is  a  righteous  judge, 
yea,  a  God  that  hath  indig- 
nation every  day. 

The  cords  of  Sheol  were 
round  about  me;  the  snares 
of  death  came  upon  me. 


Turning  to  the  New  Testament,  we  may 
take  the  following  as  typical  illustrations  of 
alterations  required  by  changes  of  reading 
in  the  Greek  text. 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

Rom.  iv.  19.  And  being 
not  weak  in  faith,  he  con- 
sidered not  his  own  body 
now  dead. 

Rom.  viii.  1.  There  is 
therefore  now  no  condemna- 
tion to  them  which  are  in 
Christ,  who  walk  not  after 
the  flesh,  but  after  the 
Spirit. 

Rom.  ix.  28.  For  he  will 
finish  the  work  and  cut  it 
short  in  righteousness:  be- 
cause a  short  work  will  the 
Lord  make  upon  the  earth. 


REVISED  VERSION 

And  without  being  weak- 
ened in  faith,  he  considered 
his  own  body  now  as  good 
as  dead. 

There  is  therefore  now  no 
condemnation  to  them  that 
are  in  Christ  Jesus. 


For  the  Lord  will  execute 
his  word  upon  the  earth, 
finishing  it  and  cutting  it 
short. 


112    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

Rom.  xiv.  6.  He  that  re- 
gardeth  the  day  regardeth 
it  unto  the  Lord:  and  he 
that  regardeth  not  the  day, 
to  the  Lord  he  doth  not  re- 
gard it. 

Rom.  xvi.  5.  Who  is  the 
first  fruits  of  Achaia  unto 
Christ. 


REVISED  VERSION" 

He  that  regardeth  the 
day,  regardeth  it  unto  the 
Lord. 


Who  is  the   first  fruits  of 
Asia  unto  Christ. 


As  examples  of  clianges  made  with  a  view 
to  a  more  correct  rendering  of  the  text,  we 
take  the  following : 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

Rom.  i.  4.  By  the  resur- 
rection from  the  dead. 

Rom.  i.  5.  For  obedience 
to  the  faith. 

Rom.,  i.  17.  For  therein  is 
the  righteousness  of  God  re- 
vealed. 

Rom,  i.  21.  But  became 
vain  in  their  imaginations. 

Rom.  iii.  25.  Whom  God 
hath  set  forth  to  be  propitia- 
tion through  faith  in  his 
blood,  to  declare  his  right- 
eousness for  the  remission 
of  sins  that  are  past, 
through  the  forbearance  of 
God. 


REVISED    VERSION 

By  the  resurrection  of  the 

dead 

Unto  obedience  of  faith 

For  therein  is  revealed  a 
righteousness  of  God 

But    became    vain    in    their 
reasonings 

Whom  God  set  forth  to 
be  a  propitiation  through 
faith,  by  his  blood,  to  show 
his  righteousness,  because  of 
the  passing  over  of  the  sins 
done  aforetime,  in  the  for- 
bearance  of   God. 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION    113 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

Rom.  iii.  19.  And  all  the 
world  may  become  guilty  be- 
fore God. 

Rom.  iv.  20-22.  He  stag- 
gered not  at  the  promise  of 
God  through  unbelief;  but 
was  strong  in  faith,  giving 
glory  to  God;  and  being 
fully  persuaded,  that  what 
he  had  promised,  he  was 
able  also  to  perform.  And 
therefore  it  was  imputed  to 
him  for  righteousness. 

Rom.  V.  21.  As  sin 
reigned  unto  death. 

Rom.  vi.  4.  Therefore  we 
are  buried  with  him  by  bap- 
tism into 

Rom.  vi.  5.  For  if  we 
have  been  planted  together 
in  the  likeness  of  his  death. 

Rom.  vi.  17.  But  ye  have 
obeyed  from  the  heart  that 
form  of  doctrine  which  was 
delivered  you 

Rom.  vii.  4.  We  also  are 
become  dead  to  the  law  by 
the  body  of  Christ. 

Rom.  ix.  1.  My  conscience 
also  bearing  me  witness  in 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

Rom.  X.  5.  For  Moses 
describeth  the  righteousness 
which   is  of  the  law.   That 


REVISED    VERSION 

And  all  the  world  may  be 
brought  under  the  judgment 
of  God. 

Yea,  looking  unto  the  prom- 
ise of  God,  he  wavered  not 
through  unbelief,  but  waxed 
strong  through  faith,  giving 
glory  to  God,  and  being 
fully  assured  that,  what  he 
had  promised,  he  was  able 
also  to  perform.  Wherefore 
also  it  was  reckoned  uuto 
him  for  righteousness. 
As  sin  reigned  in  death 

We  were  buried  therefore 
with  him  through  baptism 
into  death 

For  if  we  have  become 
united  with  him  by  the  like- 
ness of  his  death. 
We  became  obedient  from 
the  heart  to  that  form  of 
teaching  whereunto  ye  were 
delivered. 

We  also  were  made  dead  to 
the  law  through  the  body  of 
Christ. 

My  conscience  bearing  wit- 
ness with  me  in  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

For  Moses  writeth  that 
the  man  that  doeth  the 
righteousness    which    is    of 


114    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

the  man  which  doeth  those 
things  shall  live  by  them. 

Rom.  xii.  11.  Not  sloth- 
ful in  business 

Rom.  xii.  16.  Condescend 
to  men  of  low  estate. 


REVISED  VERSION 
the  law  shall  live  thereby. 

In  diligence  not  slothful. 

Condescend   to   things   that 
are  lowly. 


For  the  removal  of  obscurities  and  ambigu- 
ities, note  the  following : 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

Rom.  vi.  20.  For  when  ye 
were  servants  of  sin,  ye 
were  free  from  righteous- 
ness. 

Rom.  jdi.  17.  Provide 
things  honest  in  the  sight 
of  all  men. 

Rom.  xiv.  2.  For  one  be- 
lieveth  that  he  may  eat  all 
things. 

1  Tim.  iii.  13.  For  they 
that  have  used  the  office  of  a 
deacon  well,  purchase  to 
themselves  a  good  degree. 

Luke  xvi.  9.  Make  to 
yourselves  friends  of  the 
mammon  of  unrighteous- 
ness. 

1  Cor,  iv.  4.  For  I  know 
nothing  by  myself. 


REVISED    VERSION 

For  when  ye  were  servants 
of  sin,  ye  were  free  in  re- 
gard to  righteousness. 

Take  thought  for  things 
honourable  in  the  sight  of 
all  men. 

One  man  hath  faith  to  eat 
all   things. 

For  they  that  have  served 
well  as  deacons,  gain  to 
themselves  a  good  standing 

Make  to  yourselves  friends 
by  means  of  the  mammon  of 
unrighteousness. 

For  I  know  nothing 
against  myself. 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION    115 

The  following  are  examples  of  greater 
uniformity  in  rendering  the  same  Greek 
words : 


AUTHORISED      VERSION 

John  XV.  9-10.  As  the 
Father  hath  loved  me,  so 
have  I  loved  you:  continue 
ye  in  my  love.  If  ye  keep 
my  commandments,  ye  shall 
abide  in  my  love;  even  as  I 
have  kept  my  Father's  com- 
mandments, and  abide  in 
His  love. 

1  Tim.  ii.  7.  Whereunto 
I  am  ordained  a  preacher 
and  an  apostle,  (I  speak  the 
truth  in  Christ,  and  lie 
not;)  a  teacher  of  the  Gen- 
tiles in  faith  and  verity. 

Rom.  iv.  3.  It  was  counted 
unto  him  for  righteousness 

Rom.  iv.  22.  It  was  im- 
puted to  him  for  righteous- 
ness. 

Gal.  iii.  6.  It  was  ac- 
counted to  him  for  righteous- 
ness. 


REVISED    VERSION 

Even  as  the  Father  hath 
loved  me,  I  also  have  loved 
you;  abide  ye  in  my  love. 
If  ye  keep  my  command- 
ments, ye  shall  abide  in  my 
love:  even  as  I  have  kept 
my  Father's  commandments 
and  abide  in  his  love. 

Whereunto  I  was  ap- 
pointed a  preacher  and  an 
apostle  (I  speak  the  truth, 
I  lie  not),  a  teacher  of  the 
Gentiles  in  faith  and  truth. 


It  was  reckoned  unto  him 
for  righteousness. 


About  three  changes  in  every  ten  verses  in 
the  Gospels  and  Epistles  were  owing  to  a  dif- 
ference in  the  text  adopted  (which,  though  in- 


116    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

dependently  arrived  at,  is  practically  identi- 
cal with  Westcott  and  Hort's)  from  what  had 
been  traditionally  received.  The  total  num- 
ber of  variations  from  the  Authorised 
Version,  due  to  all  causes,  is  reckoned 
at  five  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight.  A  small  proportion  of  these,  how- 
ever, is  of  first-rate  importance.  Should 
any  one  feel  disturbed  by  this  fact,  he  can 
reassure  himself  with  the  words  of  Richard 
Bentley,  the  greatest  critic  of  the  eighteenth 
century : 

*^  The  real  text  of  the  sacred  writers  does 
not  lie  in  any  manuscript  or  edition,  but  is 
dispersed  in  them  all.  'Tis  competently  exact 
in  the  worst  manuscript  now  extant,  nor  is 
one  article  of  faith  or  moral  precept  either 
perverted  or  lost  in  them,  choose  as  awk- 
wardly as  you  will.  Make  your  thirty  thou- 
sand variations  as  many  more.  .  .  Even  put 
them  into  the  hands  of  a  knave  or  a  fool ;  and 
yet,  with  the  most  sinistrous  and  absurd 
choice,  he  shall  not  extinguish  the  light  of 
one    chapter,    or    so    disguise    Christianity 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION    117 

but  that  every  feature  of  it  will  still  be  the    r^Lh 
same."  ^ 

In  the  interval  that  has  elapsed  since  its 
publication,  the  Revision  has  grown  in  popu- 
lar favour.  Its  undoubted  faults  of  rhythm, 
its  occasional  pedantries,  its  needless  changes 
in  small  points  (as,  for  example,  the  snort  of 
Job's  war-horse,  which  is  now  '^  Aha!  "  in- 
stead of  ^^  Ha !  ha!  '')  have  been  forgiven  be- 
cause of  its  saving  virtue,  faithfulness  to  the 
original  texts.  The  ordinary  reader  is  put  in 
a  position  as  near  as  may  be  to  the  Greek  or 
Hebrew  scholar,  and  in  his  gratitude  is  will- 
ing to  overlook  the  incidental  disadvantages 
that  spring  from  interference  with  use  and 
wont. 

An  agreement  was  entered  into  by  the  Brit- 
ish and  American  Committees  that  the  read- 
ings prepared  by  the  American  Revisers 
should  be  published  as  an  Appendix  in  all 
copies  of  the  English  Revised  Bible  during  a 
period  of  fourteen  years.    The  American  Re- 

^  Quoted  in  Schaff's  Companion  to  the  Greek  Testament, 
p.  181. 


118    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

visers  undertook  to  discourage,  during  this 
same  period,  the  issue  of  any  edition  other 
than  those  of  the  University  presses.  Unlike 
their  British  brethren,  the  surviving  members 
of  the  American  Committee  kept  together  and 
more  or  less  diligently  engaged  in  the  task  of 
preparing  an  edition  in  which  their  Appendix, 
revised  and  enlarged,  should  be  incorporated 
as  a  part  of  the  text.  The  fruit  of  these  ad- 
ditional labours  appeared  in  1901  in  the 
^'  Standard  American  Edition  of  the  Re- 
vised Version  of  the  Bible.''  Thus,  there 
are  now  not  two  Revised  Versions,  but 
two  editions  or  recensions  of  one  and  the 
same  Revision,  an  English  and  an  Ameri- 
can. Speaking  generally,  the  two  editions 
differ  in  a  more  consistent  and  thorough- 
going application  by  the  Americans  of  the 
principles  which  guided  the  British  Re- 
visers. The  American  Revisers  treat  tradi- 
tional terminology  with  but  scant  respect. 
They  refuse  the  title  of  ''  Saints  '*  to  the 
Evangelists,  deny  the  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews to  Saint  Paul,  and  substitute  "  Jeho- 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION    119 

yah  "  for  **  Lord  "  uniformly  in  the  Old 
Testament.  This  last  change  they  justify  on 
the  ground  that  **  a  Jewish  superstition 
which  regarded  the  Divine  Name  as  too  sa- 
cred to  be  uttered  ought  no  longer  to  domi- 
nate in  the  English  or  any  other  version,  as  it 
fortunately  does  not  in  the  numerous  versions 
made  by  modern  missionaries. ' '  A  few  archa- 
isms retained  in  the  English  edition  are  mod- 
ernised. The  American  reader  is  no  longer 
puzzled  by  such  words  as  ^'  daysman/' 
''  ouches/'  ^^  occupiers,"  '^  bewray,"  *'  sod- 
den," ^*  clouted,"  ^^  chapiter,"  ^'boiled;" 
for  he  reads  instead  ''  umpire,"  ''  settings," 
' '  dealers, "  *  *  make  known, "  "  boiled, ' ' 
''  patched,"  **  capital,"  and  ''-  in  bloom." 
Nor  will  he  be  misled  by  the  modern  associa- 
tions of  ''  usury  "  and  ''  temperance  ";  for 
these  are  displaced  by  ''  interest  "and*^  self- 
control  "  throughout.  The  *^  arrow  snake," 
an  animal  unknown  to  zoology  and  owing  its 
origin  to  a  too  literal  rendering  of  the  Ger- 
man word  '^  pfeilschlange/^  disappears  in 
favour  of  **  dartsnake."    And  Pharaoh  is  no 


120    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

longer  compared  to  the  fabulous  dragon,  but 
to  ^  *  a  great  monster. ' '  Obscurities  of  phrase 
and  idiom  which  still  vex  the  British  reader 
have  been  removed  from  the  American  edi- 
tion. The  term  ^  ^  Holy  Spirit  ' '  uniformly 
takes  the  place  of  the  now  meaningless  ^^  Holy 
Ghost.''  **  The  fat  of  kidneys  of  wheat  ''  ^  be- 
comes *  *  the  finest  of  the  wheat  ' ' ;  and  *  ^  let 
us  play  the  man  ' '  ^  is  certainly  more  intel- 
ligible and  more  in  accord  with  modern  Eng- 
lish idiom  than  *  ^  let  us  play  the  men. ' '  The 
American  Eevisers  do  not  hesitate  to  add  a 
few  words  in  italics  to  make  a  passage  more 
perspicuous ;  as  * '  His  disciples  asked  him 
privately,  Eoiv  is  it  that  we  could  not  cast  it 
out?  '' '  Or  as  in  this  verse:  ^'  The  more  the 
prophets  called  them,  the  more  they  went 
from  them.''  Stylistic  and  grammatical  pu- 
rists no  longer  stumble  at  the  sentence,  ^'  A 
fool's  vexation  is  heavier  than  them  both  ";  * 
or  at  the  Hebraism,  ' '  Mine  eye  spared  them 
from  destroying  them  " ;  ^  for  we  have  in- 

*  Deut.  xxxii.  14.      "  Mark  ix.  28.  *  Ezek.  xx.  17. 

2  II  Sam.  X.  12.        ♦  Prov.  xxvii.  3. 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION   121 

stead:    ^^  A  fool's  vexation  is  heavier  than 
they  both/'  and  ''  Mine  eye  spared  them,  and 
I  destroyed  them  not."  The  unlearned  reader 
will  think  for  the  future  more  worthily  of  the 
householder  in  the  parable  who  agreed  with 
the  labourers  not  for  a  penny  but  for  a  shil- 
ling a  day.     It  may  be  doubted,  however, 
whether  the  American  Revisers  are  right  in 
making  Saint  Paul  compliment  the  Atheni- 
ans on  the  score  of  their  ultra-religiousness.^ 
The  Greek  word  probably  means,  as  the  Eng- 
lish Eevisers  indicate,  "  somewhat  supersti- 
tious." The  usual  argument,  that  the  Apostle 
would  not  begin  an  address  with  such  a  dis- 
courteous remark,  loses  its  force  when  we 
remember  that  in  all  probability  we  have  not 
a  verbatim  report  of  Saint  Paul's  speech,  but 
only  a  summary,  and  that  it  is  probable  we 
have  here  an  ambiguous  word  used  by  the  his- 
torian of  the  Acts  and  not  by  the  Apostle. 
Both  the  American  and  English  Companies 
would  have  done  well  to  have  modified  the 
bluntness  of  their  rendering:    **  What  there- 

^  Acts  xvii.  22. 


122    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

fore  ye  worship  in  ignorance,  this  I  set  forth 
unto  you."  ^  The  Ehemists  caught  the  exact 
nuance  when  they  rendered  it :  *  ^  What  there- 
fore you  worship  without  knowing  it,  that  I 
preach  unto  you/' 

Finally,  the  American  edition  has  improved 
on  the  English  in  the  external  presentation 
of  the  Bible.  The  running  headlines,  absent  in 
the  English  issue,  suggest  the  contents  of 
each  page,  yet  are  free  from  any  dogmatic 
implication;  the  marginal  references  have 
been  still  more  carefully  sifted;  the  para- 
graphs are  shorter  and  enable  us  better  to 
mark  the  transitions  of  prophetic  thought  and 
apostolic  argument;  the  punctuation  and 
typography  have  been  minutely  reviewed  and 
simplified.  Take  one  illustration  of  the  care 
devoted  to  this  last  point :  The  American  Re- 
visers render,  '^  So  will  the  king  desire  thy 
beauty ;  for  he  is  thy  lord. ' '  ^  The  English 
Revisers  print  **  lord  '*  with  a  capital,  and 
in  so  doing,  impose  a  Christian  interpreta- 
tion on  the  letter  of  the  Hebrew ;  whereas  the 

lActsxvii.  23.  2Ps.  xlv.  11. 


THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN  REVISION   123 

American  Kevisers  keep  to  the  strict  mean- 
ing of  the  text. 

Taking  a  glance  backward  along  the  path 
we  have  travelled,  we  cannot  but  be  impressed 
by  the  complex  of  forces,  intellectual,  moral, 
and  spiritual,  that  have  shaped  the  history  of 
the  English  Bible.  It  has  passed  through  six 
revisions.  Version  after  version  has  been  the 
fruit  of  increased  knowledge  and  deeper  in- 
sight, and  each  on  the  whole  has  been  an  im- 
provement on  its  ancestors.  Unwearied  in- 
dustry, chivalrous  endeavour,  pious  zeal,  at- 
tended its  birth  and  helped  it  on  its  way 
through  the  centuries;  nor  has  it  lacked  the 
consecrating  touch  of  martyr  blood.  No  arti- 
ficial product  created  to  serve  the  passions  of 
the  hour,  but  the  vital  outgrowth  of  the  spirit- 
ual life  of  a  great  people,  it  has  continued  to 
live  and  thrive.  Striking  its  roots  into  a 
distant  past,  yet  not  limited  by  it;  assimi- 
lating the  garnered  good  of  centuries,  yet  it- 
self presenting  a  still  higher  type  of  excel- 
lence,— it  may  confidently  challenge  the  world 
to  point  to  any  existing  ecclesiastical  version 


124    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

which  approaches  it  in  faithfulness  to  the 
language  and  spirit  of  inspiration.  This  does 
not  mean,  however,  that  it  is  the  final  transla- 
tion for  English-speaking  people.  That  were 
an  idle  claim  in  view  of  the  growing  scholar- 
ship of  the  time.  Students  are  agreed  that 
there  are  many  passages  in  the  Hebrew  text 
as  it  has  come  down  to  us  which  are  corrupt. 
With  a  critically  revised  Septuagint,  we  may 
hope  that  these  will  yet  disclose  their  true 
significance.  In  the  New  Testament,  Westcott 
and  Hort  have  not  said  the  last  word.  It  is 
well  known  that  these  scholars  chiefly  rely  for 
their  text  on  the  two  oldest  existing  manu- 
scripts, the  Codex  Vaticanus  and  the  Codex 
Smaiticus,  But  recently  the  Western  group 
of  manuscripts,  the  most  famous  of  which  is 
the  GraBco-Latin  Codex  Bezcd,  has  been  stud- 
ied afresh  in  the  light  of  the  testimony  borne 
to  it  by  the  Old  Latin  and  Syriac  versions  and 
by  the  Fathers.  Then  we  have  the  important 
find  by  Mrs.  Lewis  in  1893  of  the  Sinaitic  Sy- 
riac Gospels.  A  text  reconstructed  on  the  basis 
of  the  most  primitive  forms  of  the  Old  Latin 


THE  ANGLO-AMEEICAN  REVISION    125 

and  Syriac  versions  would  take  rank  as  pre- 
dominant authorities.  The  Latin  and  Syriac 
versions  in  their  earlier  forms  are,  says  a 
distinguished  scholar,  ^^  primary  authorities 
for  determining  the  sacred  text.  Where  they 
agree,  we  are  listening  to  the  consensus  of  the 
extreme  East  and  the  extreme  West  of  the 
Roman  world,  speaking  hardly  more  than  a 
generation  after  the  four  gospels  had  been 
gathered  together  by  the  church  into  one  col- 
lection. Such  a  consensus  is  never  to  be  dis- 
regarded, even  though  unsupported  by  a 
single  surviving  Greek  manuscript. '^  ^ 

Then  again,  the  recent  resurrection  of  a 
great  mass  of  papyrus  rolls  from  the  soil  of 
Egypt  has  added  distinctly  to  our  knowledge 
of  the  type  of  Greek  in  which  the  New  Testa- 
ment was  written.  It  used  to  be  thought  that 
New  Testament  Greek  was  based  upon  the 
Greek  of  the  Septuagint.  We  now  know  that 
the  sacred  writers  used  the  common  Greek  of 
their  day.    Many  of  their  phrases  and  con- 

*  F.  C.  Burkitt,  in  Criticism  of  the  New  Testament  { St. 
Margaret's  Lectures,  1902),  p.  89. 


126    MAKING  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

structions,  which  were  supposed  to  be  dia- 
lectic peculiarities,  have  been  found  over  and 
over  again  in  the  recently  discovered  papyri. 
A  study  of  the  Greek  vernacular  of  the  first 
century  marks  a  new  epoch  in  our  knowledge 
of  the  grammar  and  language  of  the  New 
Testament/  When  along  these  various  lines 
scholarship  has  gained  assured  results,  we 
may  hope  that  they  will  be  made  available  for 
the  great  body  of  Christian  people  in  a  ver- 
sion which,  while  true  to  the  venerable  glories 
of  the  past,  will  at  the  same  time  satisfy  the 
needs  and  reflect  the  acquisitions  of  the 
present. 

^  See  Appendix,  Note  E. 


Note  A.    The  English  Bible  Before  Tindale. 

Note  B.  Tindale 's  Debt  to  the  Wycliffite  Ver- 
sions. 

Note  C.  On  the  Origin  and  History  of  the  Latin 
Vulgate. 

Note  D.  Wrong  or  Inadequate  Renderings  in 
the  Vulgate. 

Note  E.    The  Greek  of  the  New  Testament. 


127 


APPENDIX 

Note  A.— THE   ENGLISH  BIBLE   BEFORE 
TINDALE 

Before  Tindale,  all  attempts  -jO  render  the  Scrip- 
tures into  the  vernacular  had  been  translations 
from  the  Vulgate  or  older  Latin  versions,  that  is, 
translations  of  a  translation.  From  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  period  we  have  two  metrical  paraphrases, 
that  of  Casdmon  (c.  680),  of  which  a  single  manu- 
script is  preserved  in  the  Bodleian  Library,  con- 
taining stories  from  Genesis,  Exodus,  and  Daniel, 
and  from  the  life  of  Christ;  and  that  by  ^Ifric 
(Archbishop  of  York  in  1023)  containing  the  Pen- 
tateuch, Joshua,  Judges,  Kings,  Esther,  Job,  Ju- 
dith, and  the  Maccabees,  and,  in  some  portions,  in- 
corporating earlier  translations.  This  collection  of 
paraphrases  by  ^If ric  goes  by  the  name  of  * '  Hep- 
tateuch. ' ' 

Attempts  at  literal  translation  were  confined  to 
the  Psalter  and  the  Gospels,  and  took  the  form 
of  glosses  or  interlinear  translations  of  older  Latin 
129 


130  APPENDIX 

manuscripts.  Several  translations  of  the  Psalter 
of  this  type  (belonging  to  the  ninth  century)  are 
still  extant  (in  the  National  Library,  Paris;  Brit- 
ish Museum;  Trinity  College,  Cambridge;  Bod- 
leian). The  most  distinguished  translations  of  the 
Gospels  are  the  Landisfame  Gospels,  or  Durham 
Book,  in  the  British  Museum.  Here  we  have  a 
Latin  manuscript  belonging  to  the  seventh  century 
and  representing  not  the  Vulgate  of  Jerome,  but 
the  more  primitive  text  of  the  '*  Old  Latin;  '*  and 
between  the  lines  of  the  manuscript  there  is  an 
Anglo-Saxon  translation  by  a  priest  named  Aldred, 
who  lived  some  three  centuries  later.  Then  we  have 
the  Rushworth  gloss,  or,  to  call  it  after  the  name  of 
the  Irish  scribe,  * '  the  Gospels  of  MacRegol, ' '  pre- 
served in  the  Bodleian.  The  gloss  is  largely  tran- 
scribed from  the  Landisfarne  Gospels.  The  Vener- 
able Bede,  who  died  about  735,  is  said  to  have  trans- 
lated the  fourth  gospel  and  other  portions  of  Scrip- 
ture and  may  even  have  used  the  Graeco-Latin 
manuscript  known  as  the  Codex  Laudianus,  now  in 
the  Bodleian ;  but  not  even  a  fragment  of  his  work 
is  extant.  We  have,  however,  a  translation  of  the 
Decalogue,  of  other  fragments  of  Exodus,  and  of 
Acts,  chap.  XV.,  23-29,  which  Alfred  the  Great 
prefixed  to  his  code  of  laws.    It  is  true  that  much 


APPENDIX  131 

of  our  Anglo-Saxon  literature  was  lost  through  the 
invasion  of  Norseman  and  Dane,  but  enough  re- 
mains to  show  us  that  the  Bible  held  a  high  place 
in  the  esteem  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  church. 

In  the  Anglo-Norman  period,  little  was  done 
although  it  appears  that  a  Norman-French  trans- 
lation came  into  existence.  Wy cliff e  says,  in  his 
Be  Officio  Pastorali,  ''  As  lords  of  England 
have  the  Bible  in  French,  so  it  were  not  against 
reason  that  they  had  the  same  in  English. ' '  Metri- 
cal paraphrases,  however,  still  appeared  from  time 
to  time.  Among  them  is  to  be  noted  especially  the 
*'  Ormulum  ''  (twelfth  century),  a  metrical  para- 
phrase of  the  stories  in  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts 
made  by  Ormin,  an  English  monk  of  the  Order  of 
Saint  Augustine;  and  the  "  Sowlehele,''  a  metrical 
paraphrase  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  belong- 
ing to  the  thirteenth  century.  Two  prose  versions 
of  the  Psalms  belonging  to  the  early  part  of  the 
fourteenth  century  are  the  earliest  versions  of  any 
book  of  Scripture  done  into  English  prose.  The 
earlier  of  these  two  versions  is  by  William  of  Shore- 
ham,  and  is  represented  by  a  single  manuscript  in 
the  British  Museum.  The  other  is  by  Eichard 
Rolle,  a  chantry  priest  of  Hampole,  Doncaster. 
Down  to  about  1360,  the  only  book  of  the  Bible 


132  APPENDIX 

translated  in  its  entirety  was  the  Psalter.  These 
fragmentary  translations,  however,  prepared  the 
way  for  the  great  work  of  Wycliffe  and  his  fol- 
lowers. 

In  his  Commentary  on  the  Gospels,  Wycliffe 
makes  an  earnest  plea  for  a  translation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures for  the  ordinary  people.  He  was  himself 
to  initiate  this  great  work.  We  probably  owe  to 
him  the  completed  translation  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. The  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  was 
largely  the  work  of  his  friend,  Nicholas  of  Here- 
ford, although  Wycliffe  seems  to  have  supplied  the 
later  books  and  about  one-third  of  the  Apocrypha. 
The  whole  Bible  was  thus  done  into  popular  speech 
in  1382.  Wycliffe  died  in  1384.  About  1388  his 
curate,  John  Purvey,  with  the  aid  of  other  friends, 
put  out  a  careful  revision  of  the  whole  Bible  with 
a  most  interesting  introduction.  These  Bibles 
were  multiplied  by  copying  and  were  very  expen- 
sive (from  $150  to  $250  a  copy)  ;  yet  after  more 
than  500  years,  we  have  170  manuscript  copies — 
30  of  the  1382  edition,  and  140  of  the  later  re- 
vision. Purvey 's  Revision  of  the  New  Testament  is 
reprinted  in  Bagster's  Hexapla  (1841).  The  most 
authoritative  work  on  the  Wycliffe  versions  is  the 
critical  edition  in  which  the  earlier  and  later  ver- 


APPENDIX  133 

sions  are  printed  in  two  parallel  columns,  issued 
by  Forshall  and  Madden  in  four  volumes  (Oxford, 
1850). 

The  Wycliffite  origin  of  the  versions  printed  by 
Forshall  and  Madden  remained  unchallenged  from 
the  fourteenth  century  till  the  year  1894,  when,  in 
the  July  number  of  the  Dublin  Review  in  that 
year,  Father  (now  Abbot)  F.  A.  Gasquet  published 
an  article  entitled  The  P  re-Be  formation  English 
Bible,  in  which  he  propounded  the  theory  that  these 
were  not  of  Wycliffite  origin  but  were  put  forth 
semi-officially  as  an  authorised  Catholic  translation. 
Abbot  Gasquet 's  article  is  reprinted  in  a  volume 
entitled  The  Old  English  Bible  and  Other  Essays 
(London,  1897).  Accompanying  the  reprint  is  a 
reply  to  the  criticisms  which  had  been  passed  upon 
his  theory  by  Mr.  F.  D.  Mathew  in  the  English 
Historical  Review  for  January,  1895,  and  by  F.  G. 
Kenyon  in  Our  Bible  and  the  Ancient  Ma7iuscripts 
(London,  1895).  A  thorough  and  painstaking  re- 
view lof  the  whole  subject  appeared  in  two  articles 
in  the  Church  Quarterly  Review  for  October,  1900, 
and  January,  1901.  The  result  of  the  discussion  is 
undoubtedly  to  re-establish  the  tradition  of  the 
Wycliffite  origin  of  these  versions.  Abbot  Gas- 
quet shows  much  ingenuity  in  his  argumentation. 


134  APPENDIX 

but  leaves  the  impression  of  special  pleading  and 
failure  to  do  justice  to  the  positive  evidence  in 
favour  of  the  traditional  belief.  The  contemporary 
evidence  which  points  to  the  responsibility  of 
Wycliffe  for  the  origin  of  the  translation  ascribed 
to  him  remains  unshaken.  The  testimony  of  John 
Hus  C  It  is  reported  among  the  English  that  he 
[that  is,  Wycliffe]  translated  the  whole  Bible  from 
Latin  into  English  ")  cannot  be  explained  away. 
This  report,  indeed,  is  not  exact,  because  we  know 
that  Hereford  translated  the  Old  Testament;  but 
it  proves  that  Wycliffe  was  regarded  as  responsible 
for  the  English  Bible  of  his  time.  Still  more 
cogent  evidence  is  afforded  by  Knighton's  Chroni- 
cle and  by  the  condemnatory  words  of  Archbishop 
Arundel,  When  we  turn  to  the  works  of  Wycliffe 
himself,  we  find  many  passages  which  advocate  the 
spread  among  the  English  people  of  a  Bible  in  the 
vernacular. 

The  really  notable  point  which  emerges  in  the 
course  of  the  debate  between  Abbot  Gasquet  and 
his  critics  is  the  Abbot's  admission  that  the 
versions  believed  to  be  Wycliffite  are  faithful  ren- 
derings of  the  Vulgate.  This  fact  would  account 
for  the  spread  of  the  version  among  those  who  had 
no  Wycliffite  doctrinal  leanings. 


APPENDIX  135 


Note  B.—TIND ALE'S  DEBT  TO  THE  WYCLIF- 
FITE  VERSIONS 

A  thorough  examination  of  Tindale's  relation  to 
the  Wycliffite  versions  has  not  as  yet  been  made. 
Westcott  {History,  Appendix  VIII.)  quotes  Tin- 
dale's  assertion  of  independence  as  given  in  the 
text,  and  adds  t  * '  The  words  of  Tindale  imply  that 
he  knew  of  the  Wycliffite  versions,  and  admit  the 
supposition  that  he  had  used  them,  though  he  de- 
liberately decided  that  he  could  not  (1)  '  counter- 
feit '  them,  that  is,  follow  their  general  plan  as 
being  a  secondary  version  only;  or  (2)  adopt  their 
language."  The  same  scholar  finds  in  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  only  four  Wycliffite  renderings  which 
may  have  suggested  those  of  Tindale.  This  view 
requires,  however,  some  modification.  It  would 
appear  from  a  comparison  of  the  appended  pas- 
sages that  Tindale  used  Wycliffe's  language  when- 
ever it  suited  his  purpose.  On  the  other  hand,  he 
translates  from  the  Greek  and  uses  Wycliffe  as  he 
uses  other  helps  with  scholarly  independence.  In 
the  passages  which  follow,  the  spelling  is  modern- 
ised throughout. 


136 


APPENDIX 


PURVEY'S  REVISION 

Rom.  vi.  10:  He  liveth  to 
God. 

Verse  14:  For  ye  are  not 
under  the  Law:  but  under 
grace. 

Verse  18:  Servants  of 
righteousness. 

Verse  21 :  What  fruit  had 
ye  then? 

Rom.  vii.  12:  The  law  is 
holy,  and  the  commandment 
is  holy,  just  and  good. 

Rom.  vii.  2:  The  law  of 
the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesus  hath  delivered  me 
from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death. 

Verse  10:  If  Christ  is  in 
you:  the  body  is  dead  from 
sin. 

Verse  13:  If  ye  live  after 
the  flesh :  ye  shall  die. 

Verse  15:  The  spirit  of 
adoption  ...  in  which  we 
cry  Abba  Father. 

Verse  23:  The  first  fruits 
of  the  spirit. 

Verse  24:  Hope  that  is 
seen,  is  not  hope. 

Verse  26:  The  spirit  help- 
eth  our  infirmity. 

Rom.  X.  14:  How  shall 
they  hear  without  a 
preacher  ? 


TINDALE 
He  liveth  unto  God. 

Ye  are  not  under  the  law, 
but  under  grace. 

Servants  of  righteousness. 

Wliat  fruit  had  ye  then? 

The  law  is  holy,  and  the 
commandment  holy,  just  and 
good. 

The  law  of  the  spirit  that 
bringeth  life  through  Jesus 
Christ,  hath  delivered  me 
from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death. 

If  Christ  be  in  you,  the 
body  is  dead  because  of  sin. 

If  ye  live  after  the  flesh, 
ye  must  die. 

The  spirit  of  adoption 
whereby  we  cry  Abba  Father. 

The  first  fruits  of  the 
spirit. 

Hope  that  is  seen  is  no 
hope. 

The  spirit  also  helpeth 
our  infirmities. 

How  shall  they  hear  with- 
out a  preacher? 


APPENDIX  137 

PURVEY'S  REVISION  TINDALE 


Verse  18:  The  ends  of  the 
world. 

Rom.  ix.  3:  I  am  left 
alone,  and  they  seek  my  life. 

Verse  32:  That  he  have 
mercy  on  all. 

Rom.  xii.  11:  Fervent  in 
spirit. 

Verse  15:  Weep  with  men 
that  weep. 

Verse  20:  If  thine  enemy 
hunger,  feed  thou  him. 

Rom.  xiii.  1 :  There  is  no 
power  but  of  God. 

Verse  9:  Love  thy  neigh- 
bour as  thyself. 

Rom.  xiv.  17:  Righteous- 
ness and  peace,  joy  in  the 
holy  ghost. 

Rom.  XV.  3:  For  Christ 
pleased  not  to  himself. 

Verse  8:  I  say,  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  a  minister  of 
circumcision  for  the  truth  of 
God. 

Verse  13:  And  God  of 
hope,  fulfil  you  in  all  joy 
and  peace  in  believing. 

Verse  15:  The  grace  that 
is  given  to  me  of  God. 

Verse  21 :  They  that  heard 
not  shall  understand. 

Verse  32:  That  I  come  to 


The  ends  of  the  world. 

I  am  left  only,  and  they 
seek  my  life. 

That  he  might  have  mercy 
on  all. 

Fervent  in  the  spirit. 

Weep  with  them  that 
weep. 

If  thine  enemy  hunger, 
feed  him. 

There  is  no  power  but  of 
God. 

Love  thy  neighbour  as  thy- 
self. 

Righteousness,  peace  and 
joy  in  the  holy  ghost. 

For  Christ  pleased  not 
himself. 

I  say  that  Jesus  Christ 
was  a  minister  of  the  cir- 
cumcision for  the  truth  of 
God. 

The  God  of  hope  fill  you 
with  all  joy  and  peace  in 
believing. 

The  grace  that  is  given  me 
of  God. 

They  that  heard  not,  shall 
understand. 

That  I  may  come  unto  you 


138  APPENDIX 

PURVEY'S  REVISION  TINDALE 


you  in  joy  by  the  will  of 
God. 

Rom.  xvi.  20:  And  God  of 
peace  tread  Satan  under 
your  feet  swiftly. 

Verse  25:  By  my  gospel 
and  preaching  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

James  i.  6 :  He  that  doubt- 
eth,  is  like  a  wave  of  the 
sea. 

Verse  8:  Unstable  in  all 
his  ways. 

Verse  12:  He  shall  re- 
ceive the  crown  of  life. 

Verse  17:  Each  perfect 
gift  is  from  above,  and  com- 
eth  down  from  the  Father 
of  Lights. 

Verse  19:  Be  each  man 
swift  to  hear,  but  slow  to 
speak,  and  slow  to  wrath. 

Verse  22:  Doers  of  the 
word,  and  not  hearers  only. 

James  ii.  5:  Rich  in  faith 
and  heirs  of  the  kingdom. 

Verse  17 :  Faith  if  it  hath 
not  works  is  dead  in  itself. 

Verse  26:  As  the  body 
without  spirit  is  dead:  so 
also  faith  without  works  is 
dead. 

James  iii.  5:   The  tongue 


with  joy,  by  the  will  of  God. 

The  God  of  peace  tread 
Satan  under  your  feet 
shortly. 

According  to  my  gospel 
and  preaching  of  Jesu3 
Christ. 

He  that  doubteth  is  like 
the  waves  of  the  sea. 

Unstable  in  all  his  ways. 

He  shall  receive  the  crown 
of  life. 

Every  perfect  gift  is  from 
above,  and  cometh  down 
from  the  Father  of  Light. 

Let  every  man  be  swift  to 
hear,  slow  to  speak,  and  slow 
to  wrath. 

Doers  of  the  word  and  not 
hearers  only. 

Rich  in  faith,  and  heirs 
of  the  kingdom. 

Faith,  if  it  have  no  deeds, 
is  dead  in  itself. 

As  the  body,  without  the 
spirit  is  dead,  even  so  faith 
without  deeds  is  dead. 

The  tongue  is  a  little  mem- 


APPENDIX 


139 


PURVEY'S  REVISION 
is  but  a  little  member:  and 
raiseth  great  things. 

Verse  17:  Wisdom  that  is 
from  above. 

Verse  18:  The  fruit  of 
righteousness  is  sown  in 
peace  to  men  that  make 
peace. 

James  v.  5  :  Ye  have  nour- 
ished your  hearts,  in  the 
day  of  slaying. 

Verse  12:  Before  all 
things,  my  brethren,  do  not 
swear  neither  by  heaven, 
neither  by  earth,  neither  by 
whatever  other  oath. 

Verse  14:  Pray  thou  for 
him,  and  anoint  with  oil 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

Verse  15:  The  prayer  of 
faith  shall  save  the  sick 
man. 

I  Peter  i.  21:  God  that 
raised  him  from  death. 

I  Peter  ii.  5:  Spiritual 
houses  and  an  holy  priest- 
hood to  offer  spiritual  sacri- 
fices acceptable  to  God  by 
Jesus  Christ. 

Verse  17:  Honour  ye  all 
men. 

Verse  24 :  He  himself  bore 
our  sins  in  his  body  on  a 
tree. 


TINDALE 

ber,  and  boasteth  great 
things. 

Wisdom  that  is  from 
above. 

The  fruit  of  righteousness 
is  sown  in  peace,  of  them 
that  maintain  peace. 

Ye  have  nourished  your 
hearts,  as  in  a  day  of 
slaughter. 

Above  all  things,  my 
brethren,  swear  not,  neither 
by  heaven,  neither  by  earth, 
neither  by  any  other  oath. 

Pray  over  him,  and  anoint 
him  with  oil  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord. 

The  prayer  of  faith  shall 
save  the  sick. 

God  that  raised  him  from 
death. 

A  spiritual  house  and  an 
holy  priesthood,  for  to  offer 
up  spiritual  sacrifice,  accep- 
table to  God  by  Jesus  Christ. 

Honour  all  men. 

Which  his  own  self  bore 
our  sins  in  his  body  on  the 
tree. 


140 


APT^ENDIX 


PURVEY'S  REVISION 

Verse  25:  Now  turned  to 
the  shepherd  and  bishop  of 
your  souls. 

I  Peter  iii.  10:  Constrain 
his  tongue  from  evil,  and 
his  lips  that  they  speak  no 
guile. 

I  Peter  iii.  21:  The  put- 
ting away  of  filths  of  flesh. 

I  Peter  iv.  1:  He  that 
Buifered  in  flesh  ceased  from 
Bins. 

Verse  10:  Good  dispenders 
of  manifold  grace  of  God. 

I  Peter  v.  6 :  The  mighty 
hand  of  God. 

Verse  8:  Your  adversary, 
the  devil,  as  a  roaring  lion 
goeth  about,  seeking  whom 
he  shall  devour. 

Verse  10:  God  of  all 
grace  that  called  you  into 
his  everlasting  glory. 

II  Peter  i.  1:  Our  God 
and  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 

II  Peter  ii.  17:  These  are 
wells  without  water. 


TINDALE 

Now  returned  unto  the 
shepherd  and  bishop  of  your 
souls. 

Refrain  his  tongue  from 
evil,  and  his  lips  that  they 
speak  not  guile. 

The  putting  away  of  the 
filth  of  the  flesh. 

He  which  suffereth  in  the 
flesh  ceaseth  from  sin. 

Good     ministers     of     the 
manifold  grace  of  God. 
The  mighty  hand  of  God. 

Your  adversary,  the  devil, 
as  a  roaring  lion  walketh 
about,  seeking  whom  he  may 
devour. 

The  God  of  all  grace, 
which  called  you  unto  his 
eternal  glory. 

Our  God  and  Savior  Jesus 
Christ. 

These  are  wells  without 
water. 


Some  of  these  coincidences  in  rendering  may  be 
accounted  for  by  the  immediate  influence  of  the 
Vulgate,  but  the  great  majority  show  that  the  later 
translator  freely  used  the  work  of  the  earlier.  , 


APPENDIX  141 


Note    C— ON    THE    ORIGIN    AND  HISTORY 
OF  LATIN  VULGATE 

The  word  "  Vulgate  "  is  the  Latin  adjective 
vulgata  in  the  form  of  an  English  noun.  It  means 
**  current  ^'  or  "  commonly  received/'  some  such 
substantive  as  versio,  version,  or  editio  being  under- 
stood. Its  Greek  equivalent  {xoivrf  inSoffi?)  was 
applied  to  the  Septuagint  translation  (250-150 
B.C.).  When  the  Old  Latin  version  made  from 
the  Septuagint  came  into  use,  it  received  the  title 
*'  Vulgate,"  which  some  centuries  later  came  to 
be  applied  to  Jerome's  Latin  Bible,  consisting  of  a 
revision  of  the  Old  Latin  New  Testament  and  a 
translation  of  the  Hebrew  Old  Testament.  This 
last  is  the  modern  usage.  When  we  speak  of  the 
**  Vulgate  "  we  mean  the  Latin  Bible  traditionally 
identified  with  Jerome's  name,  though,  as  we  shall 
see,  there  are  elements  in  it  for  which  he  is  not 
responsible. 

These  unquestioned  facts  are  obscured  in  a  state- 
ment made  in  the  Preface  to  Cardinal  Gibbons' 
edition  of  the  Douay  Bible  to  the  effect  that  **  the 
Septuagint  .  .  .  which  contained  all  the  writ- 
ings now  found  in  the  Douay  version,  as  it  is  called, 


142  APPENDIX 

was  the  version  used  by  the  Saviour  and  His 
Apostles  and  by  the  Church  from  her  infancy,  and 
translated  into  Latin,  known  under  the  title  of  the 
Latin  Vulgate,  and  ever  recognised  as  the  true 
version  of  the  written  Word  of  God."  Three 
assumptions  are  made  here  which  are  groundless. 

(1)  The  Alexandrine  Septuagint,  which  contained 
certain  books  outside  the  Hebrew  Canon,  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Septuagint  current  in  the  days  of 
Christ  in  Palestine.  But  there  are  reasons  for 
believing  that  the  Palestinian  Septuagint  had 
practically  the  same  books  as  the  Hebrew  Bible. 
(Comp,  Westcott's  Bihle  in  the  Churchy  p.  124.) 

(2)  The  Old  Latin  translation  from  the  Septua- 
gint is  here  confounded  with  the  Latin  version 
which  goes  under  the  name  of  the  Latin  Vulgate 
to-day.  The  two  are  to  be  distinguished;  the  one 
is  the  old  Latin  Vulgate,  the  other  is  the  New  Latin 
Vulgate.  The  former  in  the  New  Testament  is  the 
basis  of  the  latter,  while  in  the  Old  Testament  it 
is  displaced  by  a  fresh  translation  from  the  Hebrew 
made  by  Jerome  himself.  (3)  There  is  no  proof 
that  our  Lord  used  the  Septuagint.  Whether  He 
knew  Greek  is  a  disputed  question.  Modem 
opinion  holds  that  he  spoke  Aramaic  and  read  the 
Old  Testament  in  Hebrew. 


APPENDIX  143 

The  origin  of  the  Old  Latin  version  is  lost  in 
obscurity.  When,  where,  or  by  whom  the  transla- 
tion was  made,  no  man  knows.  It  is  even  uncertain 
whether  we  should  speak  of  the  Old  Latin  version 
or  of  several  independent  versions.  Cardinal 
Wiseman  (Essays  on  Various  Subjects)  argued 
that  there  was  only  one  Old  Latin  translation ;  but 
more  recently  Professor  Sanday  has  maintained 
(Studia  Bihlica,  1885,  p.  236)  that  there  were 
originally  *'  two  parent  stocks  from  which  all  the 
texts  that  we  now  have  were  derived  by  different 
degrees  of  modification."  One  thing  is  certain, 
or  almost  so,  that  wherever  the  version  or  versions 
originated,  it  was  not  at  Rome.  The  language 
used  there  in  the  first  two  centuries  was  Greek. 
There  were  twelve  Bishops  of  Rome  down  to  the 
year  189  a.d.  and  of  these  only  three  bear  Latin 
names.  About  the  year  58  a.d.  St.  Paul  writes  to 
the  Romans  in  Greek,  and  a  century  later  Justin 
Martyr,  who  lived  at  Rome,  wrote  in  the  same 
language.  ( Comp.  Sanday  and  Headlam  's  Internat. 
Crit.  Commentary  on  Romans  Introd.)  The  usual 
opinion  till  recently  was  that  North  Africa  was  the 
true  home  of  the  version;  but  the  latest  writer 
(comp.  Hastings'  Diet.,  Art.  Old  Latin  Version) 
decides  for  Antioch  in  Syria.     What  is  more  im- 


144  APPENDIX 

portant  to  note  is  that  the  Old  Latin  translation, 
if  we  may  use  the  singular,  is  the  daughter  of  the 
Septuagint,  itself  marred  by  many  mistranslations 
and  errors,  which  in  turn  were  multiplied  by  later 
copyists  from  whose  efforts  emerged  the  current 
text.  (Comp.  Swete's  Introd.  to  the  Septuagint, 
p.  103.)  It  was  from  this  current  text  that  the 
unknown  Wycliffe  or  Tindale  of  the  second  century 
first  translated  the  Bible  into  Latin,  and  of  course, 
later  editions  of  his  work  must  have  been  still  more 
corrupt.  Jerome  is  a  witness  to  the  confusion  and 
diversity  of  the  Old  Latin  copies  in  his  time.  ''  If 
faith, ' '  he  says,  "  is  to  be  put  in  the  Latin  texts,  let 
them  [his  opponents]  say  in  which:  for  there  are 
almost  as  many  types  of  text  as  there  are  manu- 
scripts "  {Epistle  to  Damasus).  Augustine  speaks 
of  the  infinite  variety  and  number  of  Latin  trans- 
lations. He  says  that  in  early  times  any  one  who 
owned  a  Greek  codex  and  had  some  little  knowledge 
of  both  languages  made  bold  to  translate  it  {De 
Doctrina  Christiana,  II.  14,  15).  Hence  according 
to  Augustine,  the  Old  Latin  version  which  lies 
behind  the  present  Vulgate  was  made  by  private 
hands,  and  not  under  ecclesiastical  sanction. 

About    382    A.D.    Pope    Damasus    commissioned 
Jerome  to  bring  some  order  out  of  chaos  by  revising 


APPENDIX  145 

the  Latin  text  of  the  Gospels.  His  qualifications 
for  the  task  were  of  the  highest  order.  Earnest 
piety,  immense  erudition,  and  a  Latin  style  modelled 
on  the  best  authors  marked  him  out  as  a  man 
providentially  called  to  the  work.  He  took  the 
Latin  text  most  used  in  Italy  as  his  basis  and  cor- 
rected its  worst  blunders  by  means  of  ancient  Greek 
manuscripts.  For  fear  of  giving  offense  to  the 
unlearned  he  left  many  mistakes  unamended,  so 
that  often  for  Jerome  ^s  own  view  of  the  correct 
reading  of  a  passage  it  is  necessary  to  consult  his 
commentaries.  For  example,  he  rejects  the  Vul- 
gate reading  in  Ephesians  i.  6 ;  iv.  19 ;  Galatians  v. 
9.  The  Old  Latin  version  belongs  to  the  so-called 
*'  Western  "  type  of  text,  which  came  into  exist- 
ence at  a  very  early  period  when  copyists  felt  them- 
selves at  liberty  to  add  to  or  subtract  from  their 
copies.  The  sacred  books  were  not  yet  regarded 
as  a  trust  to  be  kept  intact  for  future  ages,  but 
rather  as  a  means  of  edification  and  devotion  for 
those  into  whose  hands  they  might  come.  (See 
Westcott  and  Hort,  The  New  Testament  in  Greek, 
Introd.)  On  the  other  hand,  we  have  to  remember 
that  pieces  of  this  very  primitive  translation  sur- 
vive in  the  Vulgate,  in  spite  of  all  corrections  and 
changes,  and  are  of  the  highest  authority.     **  A 


146  APPENDIX 

comparison,"  says  Professor  Sanday,  *'  of  the 
oldest  forms  of  the  Syriac  Version  with  the  oldest 
forms  of  the  Latin  may  reveal  a  text  worthy  to  be 
put  into  competition  with  that  of  the  famous  Greek 
uncials  "  {Criticism  of  the  New  Testament,  p.  6). 
Then  again,  Jerome  corrected  the  Old  Latin  by 
means  of  Greek  manuscripts,  which,  on  the  whole, 
were  of  a  type  represented  by  the  text  at  the  basis 
of  the  Anglo-American  Revised  Version;  Codex 
Sinaiticus  standing  out  as  the  most  constant  sup- 
porter of  his  readings.  (Wordsworth  and  "White, 
Vulgate  N.  T.,  Pt.  1,  pp.  655-672.)  This  explains 
why  the  Rhemish  New  Testament  in  several 
passages  is  superior  to  the  Authorised  Version  and 
anticipates  the  Revised  Version.  (Comp.  Matthew 
xix.  17;  Mark  iii.  29;  Acts  xvi.  7;  Rev.  xxii.  14.) 

The  revised  Gospels  were  published  in  383  a.d., 
the  remainder  of  the  New  Testament  appearing 
shortly  afterwards. 

Later,  and  without  any  ecclesiastical  sanction, 
he  undertook  to  translate  the  Old  Testament,  for- 
saking the  Septuagint  on  which  the  Old  Latin 
version  was  based,  and  rendering  directly  from  the 
Hebrew.  He  explains  why  he  abandoned  the 
traditional  text.  "  If  any  one  is  better  pleased," 
he  says,  ' '  with  the  edition  of  the  Seventy,  it  is  long 


APPENDIX  147 

since  corrected  by  me.  Yet  if  our  friend  reads 
carefully  he  will  find  that  our  version  is  the  more 
intelligible,  for  it  has  not  been  turned  sour  by  being 
poured  three  times  over  into  different  vessels,  but 
has  been  drawn  straight  from  the  press  and  stored 
in  a  clean  jar,  and  has  thus  preserved  its  own 
flavour  "  {Letter  to  Summias  and  Fretela,  Nicene 
and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,  vol.  vi.  p.  492).  This 
part  of  his  work  took  him  fifteen  years  to 
accomplish,  390-405.  Its  publication  drew  down 
upon  the  translator  a  shower  of  abuse.  Even 
Augustine,  who  was  ignorant  of  Hebrew,  criticised 
him  at  first  and  stood  by  the  Septuagint,  which  he 
regarded  as  inspired  and  which  he  could  not  bear 
to  see  set  aside  to  make  way  for  another,  even 
though  that  other  was  based  directly  on  the  original. 
Jerome  had  little  regard  for  the  Apocrypha  and 
apologised  for  translating  Tobit  and  Judith.  The 
former  was  in  Aramaic,  a  language  with  which  he 
was  not  acquainted.  He  had  a  Jew  translate  it 
into  Hebrew,  and  he  then  turned  the  Hebrew  into 
Latin  for  his  amanuensis.  He  refused  to  translate 
Ecclesiasticus  and  Wisdom.  It  is  uncertain 
whether  he  revised  I  and  II  Maccabees.  These 
books  were  taken  over  from  the  Old  Latin  into  the 
Vulgate.     Three  Latin  versions  of  the  Psalter  are 


148  APPENDIX 

eonnected  with  Jerome's  name:  (1)  a  revision  of 
the  Old  Latin  version  with  the  help  of  the  Septua- 
gint,  called  the  Roman  Psalter;  (2)  a  more 
thorough  revision  with  reference  to  Origen's 
amended  text  of  the  Septuagint,  known  as  the 
Gallican  Psalter;  (3)  a  new  translation  from  the 
Hebrew.  Now  it  was  the  second  of  these  that 
eventually  was  incorporated  in  the  Vulgate  and 
forms,  in  English  dress,  part  of  our  modem  Roman 
Catholic  Bible. 

It  follows  that  the  Vulgate  as  we  have  it  is  not 
a  simple  but  a  composite  work.  It  consists  of  the 
following : 

(1)  The  unrevised  Old  Latin — ^the  Apocrypha 

(except  Tobit  and  Judith) ; 

(2)  The   Old  Latin   revised — the   Gospels; 

(3)  The  Old  Latin  perfunctorily  revised — Acts 

to  Revelation; 

(4)  Direct  translation  from  the  Hebrew— the 

Old  Testament  (except  the  Psalms)  ; 

(5)  The  Old  Latin  revised  with  reference  to 

Origen  's  revised  Septuagint — ^the  Psalms. 
The   Old  Latin  Vulgate   died  hard.     For  cen- 
turies it  existed  side  by  side  with  the  New,  and 
neither  could  claim  to  be  the  '*  authentic  "  text. 
In  the  sixth  century  Pope  Gregory  the  Great  quotes 


APPENDIX  U9 

both  Vulgates  indifferently  *'  since  the  Apostolic 
See,  over  which  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  preside, 
uses  both  '*  (Epistle  prefixed  to  Moralia  on  Job). 
There  is  an  interesting  memorial  of  this  early  state 
of  things  in  a  manuscript  called  the  Codex 
Usserianus  I,  preserved  in  the  Library  of  Dublin 
University,  belonging  to  the  sixth  or  seventh  cen- 
tury, and  showing  that  the  New  Testament  reached 
Ireland  not  in  Jerome's  revision,  but  in  the  Old 
Latin  unrevised  text.  The  inevitable  result  of  the 
co-existence  of  the  two  Vulgates  was  that  copyists 
familiar  with  the  Old  Latin  often  introduced  read- 
ings from  it  into  Jerome's  Bible.  An  illustration 
of  this  kind  of  corruption  may  be  seen  in  the  double 
rendering  of  the  same  passage  in  II  Samuel  i.  19 — 
(II  Kings  i.  18,  19):  "  Consider,  0  Israel,  for 
them  that  are  dead,  wounded  on  thy  high  places. 
The  illustrious  of  Israel  are  slain  upon  thy  moun- 
tains." There  is  but  one  sentence  in  Hebrew  of 
which  these  two  sentences  are  double  translations, 
the  first  coming  from  the  Old  Latin  Vulgate,  the 
second  belonging  to  Jerome's  Vulgate.  About  the 
seventh  century  the  victory  of  the  New  Vulgate 
was  assured,  but  by  this  time  it  had  been  sadly 
deteriorated.  The  causes  of  corruption  were 
mainly  the  carelessness  of  copyists,  their  tendency 


150  APPENDIX 

to  introduce  marginal  notes  into  the  body  of  the 
text,  their  unconscious  reminiscence  of  the  Old 
Latin,  and  finally,  alterations  for  dogmatic  reasons. 
Vercellone  in  his  Authenticity  of  the  Single  Parts 
of  the  Vulgate  Version,  published  at  Rome  in  1866 
with  the  imprimatur  of  the  Master  of  the  Palace, 
holds  that  there  may  be  many  errors  of  translation 
even  in  dogmatic  passages,  though  the  dogmas  based 
on  them  are  themselves  free  from  error.  (Comp. 
Catholic  Dictionary,  p.  943.) 

Berger,  who  is  one  of  the  greatest  of  our  modem 
authorities  on  the  Vulgate,  says ;  *  *  Dogmatic  alter- 
ations, indeed,  are  not  rare  in  the  text  of  the  Vul- 
gate. .  .  .  The  doctrines  most  dear  to  the 
mediaeval  theologians  exercise  all  their  influence 
on  the  text  of  the  Bible."  (See  Histoire  de  la 
Vulgate,  p.  viii,  Paris,  1893.) 

Throughout  the  Middle  Ages  the  history  of  the 
Vulgate  is  a  history  of  corruption,  interrupted  by 
attempts  at  revision.  At  the  end  of  the  eighth 
century,  Alcuin,  an  English  scholar,  at  the  invita- 
tion of  Charlemagne,  undertook  a  revision.  His 
work  in  course  of  time  was  gradually  undone  by 
the  errors  of  copyists.  By  the  thirteenth  century 
chaos  had  come  again.  By  command  of  St.  Louis 
of  France,  the  doctors  of  the  University  of  Paris 


APPENDIX  151 

made  a  text  which  substantially  is  the  basis  of  the 
modern  Vulgate. 

The  art  of  printing  was  invented  in  the  fifteenth 
century,  and  now  a  standard  text  could  be  fixed. 
The  Council  of  Trent  on  April  8,  1546,  passed  the 
following  decree — '*  Moreover  the  same  sacred  and 
holy  synod — considering  that  no  small  utility  may 
accrue  to  the  Church  of  God,  if  it  be  made  known 
which  out  of  all  the  Latin  editions,  now  in  circula- 
tion, of  the  sacred  books,  is  to  be  held  as  authentic 
— ordains  and  declares  that  the  said  old  and  Latin 
Vulgate  edition  which,  by  the  lengthened  usage  of 
so  many  ages  has  been  approved  of  in  the  Church, 
be  in  public  lectures,  disputations,  sermons,  and 
expositions,  held  as  authentic:  and  that  no  one  is 
to  dare  or  presume  to  reject  it  under  any  pretext 
whatever.''  Insuper  eadem  sacrosancta  Synodus 
considerans,  non  parum  utilitatis  accedere  posse 
ecclesice  Dei,  si  ex  omnibus  Latinis  editionihus, 
qucB  circumferunturf  sacrorum  lihrorum,  qucenam 
pro  authentica  hahenda  sit,  innotescat;  statuit  et 
declarat  ut  hcec  ipsa  vetus  et  vulgata  editio,  quce 
longo  tot  scBCulorum  usu  in  ipsa  ecclesia  probata 
est,  in  puhlicis  lectionibus,  disputationibus,  prcedica- 
tionibus,  et  expositionibus  pro  authentica  habeatur, 
et  ut  nemo  illam  rejicere  quovis  prcetextu  audeat 


162  APPENDIX 

vel  prcesumat.)    (Comp.  Schaff:  Creeds  and  Con- 
fessions of  Christendom,  vol.  ii,  p.  82.) 

The  Council  ordered  that  as  correct  an  edition  as 
possible  of  the  Vulgate  should  be  printed.  It  was 
nearly  half  a  century  later  that  an  attempt  was 
made  to  carry  out  the  Council's  order.  Pope 
Sixtus  V  issued  the  first  printed  and  authoritative 
text  in  1590,  prefaced  by  the  famous  bull 
*'  Aeternus  ille/'  which  forbade  the  alteration  of 
the  smallest  particle  on  pain  of  the  greater  ex- 
communication. (For  full  text  of  the  Bull  see 
Van  Ess,  Geschichte  der  Vulgata,  Tiibingen,  1824.) 
Sixtus  died  in  August,  1590.  Several  short-lived 
Popes  succeeded  him.  In  1592  Clement  VIII  came 
to  the  papal  throne.  It  would  appear  that  the 
Jesuits  had  never  forgiven  Sixtus  for  putting 
Bellarmine's  book,  On  the  Direct  Dominion  of  the 
Pope,  in  the  Index,  and  took  revenge  by  having 
Clement  recall  the  Sixtine  edition  to  make  way  for 
a  new  one.  The  new  revision  was  issued  in  1592 
with  a  preface  by  Bellarmine  in  which  it  is  said 
that  "  the  same  Pope  (Sixtus)  when  he  was  about 
to  send  it  forth,  perceiving  that  not  a  few  errors  had 
crept  into  the  Holy  Bible  through  the  fault  of  the 
press,  which  seemed  to  require  fresh  attention, 
judged  it  wise  and  determined  to  have  the  whole 


APPENDIX  153 

work  recalled  and  done  over  again.  But  as  he 
could  not  carry  out  his  design,  being  prevented 
by  his  death  ...  at  last  toward  the  beginning 
of  the  pontificate  of  Clement  VIII,  who  now 
governs  the  church  universal,  the  work  at  which 
Sixtus  aimed,  with  the  Divine  assistance,  is 
achieved." 

Prior  to  the  publication  of  this  edition,  Bellar- 
mine  had  charged  the  Sixtine  text  not  with  typo- 
graphical errors,  but  with  wilful  alterations 
whereby  Sixtus  brought  himself  and  the  whole 
church  into  serious  peril''  se  totamque  ecclesiam 
discrimini  commiserit  Sixtus  V  " — and  had  recom- 
mended that  the  book  should  be  recalled,  revised, 
and  then  sent  forth  under  the  name  of  Sixtus  with 
a  preface  putting  the  blame  on  the  printers.  (See 
the  original  document,  quoted  by  Van  Ess,  pp. 
290,  291.)  Owing  to  this  unworthy  prevarication, 
Bellarmine  at  a  later  date  was  denied  canonisation. 
(See  Van  Ess,  pp.  298-318.)  Two  modern  scholars, 
Bishop  Wordsworth  and  Mr.  White,  have  examined 
the  Sixtine  edition  and  pronounce  it  excellently 
printed  for  the  time.  {Vulgate  N.  T.,  p.  724.) 
They  found  only  twelve  misprints  in  the  New 
Testament.  Clement's  text  differs  from  that  of 
Sixtus  in  about  three  thousand  places  (Bukentop, 


154  APPENDIX 

Lux  de  Luce,  Bk.  Ill,  1710),  and  remains  to  the 
present  day  the  authorised  official  Bible  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  It  is  usually  issued  under 
the  names  of  Sixtus  and  Clement  and  thus  the  fact 
is  disguised  that  there  were  really  two  revisions. 
The  Douay  divines  had  translated  the  whole  Bible 
(though  the  New  Testament  only  was  issued)  prior 
to  the  appearance  of  the  Clementine  Vulgate. 
Before  issuing  their  Old  Testament  they  brought 
their  version  into  accord  with  the  official  text  (see 
Preface  to  Douay  Old  Testament).  The  New 
Testament  was  revised  with  reference  to  that  text 
by  Dr.  Challoner  and  others. 

Is  the  Clementine  revision  an  accurate  represen- 
tation of  Jerome's  work?  *'  One  thing  is  certain,'' 
says  Dr.  Scrivener,  *'  that  neither  the  Sixtine  nor 
the  Clementine  edition  (the  latter  of  which  retains 
its  place  of  paramount  authority  in  the  Roman 
Church)  was  prepared  on  any  intelligent  principles 
of  criticism  or  furnishes  us  with  such  a  text  as  the 
best  manuscripts  of  Jerome's  Vulgate  supply  to 
our  hand  "  {Introd.  to  the  Criticism  of  the  N.  T., 
p.  352,  3d  edition). 

The  decree  of  the  Council  of  Trent  calling  for 
the  editing  of  as  correct  a  copy  of  the  Vulgate  as 
possible  seems  at  last  in  our  own  time  about  to  be 


APPENDIX  155 

realised.  The  late  Pope  Leo  XIII  created  a  com- 
mission for  the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  but  little 
real  work  was  done.  On  April  30,  1907,  Cardinal 
Rampolla,  President  of  the  Commission,  entrusted 
the  work  of  revision  of  the  Vulgate  to  the  Bene- 
dictines, and  appointed  Abbot  Gasquet,  the  well- 
known  English  scholar  and  historian,  as  head 
of  the  committee.  The  collaboration  of  ecclesiastics 
and  laymen,  Catholics  and  non- Catholics,  is  invited. 
Some  idea  of  the  gigantic  nature  of  the  task  is 
given  when  it  is  said  that  about  26,000  MSS.  must  be 
collated  and  arranged  as  a  preliminary  to  the  task 
of  translation.  Benedictines  will  be  sent  to  the 
libraries  of  the  entire  civilised  world  for  the 
purpose  of  consulting  MSS.  The  expense  will  be 
borne  in  part  by  the  Vatican,  but  in  part  also  by 
Roman  Catholic  Christendom.  The  first  part  of 
the  task  proper  will  be  the  reconstruction,  as  far 
as  possible,  of  the  text  of  Jerome.  This  recon- 
structed text  will  be  the  foundation  of  the  revision. 
The  next  step  will  be  to  discover  how  far  Jerome 
himself  was  correct.  Probably  the  Psalms  will  be 
undertaken  first.  Abbot  Gasquet  will  probably 
issue  first  a  critical  edition  of  the  Psalms  in 
Jerome 's  three  versions,  printed  in  parallel  columns, 
together  with  probably  the  old  "  Itala  "  version. 


156  APPENDIX 

When  this  work  is  finished,  it  will  be  one  of  the 
greatest  monuments  of  Christian  scholarship  and  in- 
dustry our  age  has  known.  (See  article  on  Revision 
of  the  Vulgate,  by  S.  Cortesi.  in  Pall  Mall  Magazine, 
March,  1908.) 


Note   D.— WRONG    OR    INADEQUATE    REN- 
DERINGS IN  THE  VULGATE 

The  Douay  Bible  labours  under  all  the  weak- 
nesses and  crudities  of  its  basal  text.  Its  very 
loyalty  to  the  Vulgate  has  proved  its  undoing. 
This  is  especially  conspicuous  in  the  Psalter,  which 
demands  more  fidelity,  perhaps,  than  any  other 
book  in  the  Old  Testament,  to  the  spirit  of  the 
original.  Nevertheless,  the  painful  fact  must  be 
stated  that  this  is  the  worst  rendered  and  most 
obscure  part  of  the  entire  volume.  The  meaning 
has  to  be  described,  dimly  enough,  through  three 
translations,  Hebrew  to  Greek,  Greek  to  Latin, 
Latin  to  English,  and  the  English  is  harsh,  crabbed, 
pedantic,  wholly  unfitted  to  voice  the  aspirations, 
the  joys  and  sorrows  of  the  soul.  The  Douay 
Psalter  is  thus,  in  addition  to  its  own  inadequacies, 
heir  to  the  faults  and  blunders  of  two  translations, 


APPENDIX  157 

the  Septuagint  and  the  Old  Latin.  There  are,  for 
example,  interpolations  in  the  Septuagint,  taken 
over  by  the  Old  Latin  and  Englished  in  the  Douay. 
(See  Psa.  vii.  12;  xii.  6;  xiii.  3;  from  their  throat 
to  before  their  eyes  [inserted  by  a  Christian  hand 
in  the  Septuagint  from  Rom.  iii.  13-18]  ;  xxxii.  10; 
cxxxi.  5,  Douay  trans,  and  notation.) 

Again,  the  Greek  translators  blundered  as  to  the 
meaning  of  Hebrew  words  and  phrases  and  the 
Old  Latin  followed  them  blindly.  For  example, 
Psalm  Ixxxvii.  16,  we  have  ' '  in  labours  ' '  when  the 
Hebrew  is  ' '  ready  to  die  " ;  and  lix.  10,  ' '  Moab  is 
the  pot  of  my  hope  "  for  the  Hebrew,  "  Moab  is 
my  wash-pot.'*  (Comp.  Psa.  lix.  6;  exix.  127;  cxl. 
5,  Douay.) 

A  curious  illustration  of  the  unhappy  servility 
of  the  Old  Latin  to  the  Septuagint  is  seen  in  Psalm 
cxxxi.  15  (Douay) :  **  Blessing  I  will  bless  her 
widow,"  where  for  "  widow  "  the  American 
version  reads  **  provision."  The  Hebrew  word 
(tsidah)  means  both  ''  prey  "  and  ''  provision," 
and  the  Septuagint  choosing  the  former  significa- 
tion rendered  it  theran,  and  theran  was  uninten- 
tionally or  otherwise  altered  to  cheran,  which 
means  ''widow." 

In  the  course  of  transcription  many  corruptions 


158  APPENDIX 

crept  into  the  Greek  text.  Notes  made  in  the 
margin  were  by  later  copyists  deemed  part  of  the 
original,  so  that  we  have  in  many  places 
**  doublets/'  that  is,  two  renderings  of  one  and  the 
same  expression.  For  example.  Psalm  xxviii.  1 
reads  in  the  Douay:  **  Bring  to  the  Lord,  0  ye 
children  of  God:  bring  to  the  Lord  the  offspring 
of  rams.''  The  Hebrew  phrase  has  an  ambiguous 
sound  {bene  elim)  between  '*  children  of  God  " 
and  *'  offspring  of  rams."  One  of  the  renderings 
was  an  alternative  marginal  reading  in  the  Septua- 
gint,  but  eventually  got  into  the  text  and  so  passed 
into  the  Old  Latin.  We  have  thus  in  the  Vulgate 
a  double  translation  of  the  same  words. 

Sometimes  the  fine  imagery  of  the  original  is 
utterly  spoiled.  In  Psalm  xxiii.  7  (Douay)  we 
have  the  rendering :  '  *  Lift  up  your  gates,  0  ye 
princes  ' '  where  the  Revised  Version  has :  '  *  Lift 
up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates."  The  striking  image 
in  the  Hebrew  which  personifies  the  great  gates  of 
Zion  and  calls  upon  them  to  lift  up  their  heads 
that  the  King  of  glory  may  enter  with  erect  mien, 
is  ruined  and  there  is  substituted  for  it  the  gro- 
tesque idea  of  princes  carrying  gates.  ' '  The  gates 
which  raised  their  heads  were  turned  into  the  heads 
which  raised  their  gates."     This  blunder  is  repro- 


APPENDIX  159 

duced  in  a  picture  in  St.  Alban's  Psalter  of  a  prince 
carrjdng  a  couple  of  gates  to  a  figure  representing 
Christ.  (See  Jewish  Quarterly  Review,  vol.  xi,  p. 
164.) 

The  Septuagint  translators  unfortunately  allowed 
themselves  to  take  liberties  with  the  sacred  text 
such  as  the  softening  of  expressions  apparently  out 
of  harmony  with  the  character  of  the  subject  of 
which  they  were  used.  A  striking  illustration  is 
supplied  by  the  words  addressed  to  Moses  concern- 
ing Aaron :  ' '  And  thou  shalt  be  to  him  as  God. ' ' 
The  Septuagint,  followed  by  the  Vulgate,  tones 
down  the  phrase  to : ' '  Thou  shalt  be  to  him  in  those 
things  that  pertain  to  God, ' '  Exodus  iv.  16.  ( Comp. 
Exod.  V.  3;  Psa.  viii.  5;  xvii.  15;  xc.  2;  xcvii.  7; 
cxxxviii.  1,  R.V.  notation.) 

In  the  same  way  Jerome  is  misled  by  other  Greek 
translations.  One  curious  blunder  he  owes  to  the 
version  of  Aquila,  a  non-Christian  Jew  of  the 
second  century  before  Christ.  We  read  in  the 
Douay  Bible:  **  And  they  saw  that  the  face  of 
Moses  when  he  came  out  was  horned,''  Exodus 
xxxiv.  35 ;  where  the  Revisers  have :  '  *  And  the 
children  of  Israel  saw  the  face  of  Moses  that  the 
skin  of  Moses'  face  shone."  Strangely  enough, 
this    old    mistranslation    has    been    consecrated 


160  APPENDIX 

in  the  horns  of  Moses  chiselled  by  the  hand  of 
Michael  Angelo  on  the  tomb  of  Pope  Julius  II  at 
Rome.  (See  Jewish  Quarterly  Review,  vol.  xi,  p. 
165.)  (For  Rabbinical  legends  incorporated  by- 
Jerome  in  the  Vulgate  and  retained  in  the  Douay 
version,  comp.  I  Sam.  v.  9;  Isa.  xxxiii.  17.)  But 
the  great  Latin  Father  has  native  as  well  as  in- 
herited faults.  His  chief  weakness  is  a  tendency 
to  impose  a  more  distinctly  Messianic  reference  on 
certain  passages  than  they  can  justly  bear  in  the 
original,  thus  obscuring  the  true  order  of  revela- 
tion. Jacob  in  his  deathbed  address  to  his  sons  is 
made  to  predict  the  coming  of  the  Messiah:  '*  The 
sceptre  shall  not  be  taken  away  from  Judah  .  .  . 
till  he  come  that  is  to  he  sent  and  he  shall  he  the 
expectation  of  all  nations/*  Genesis  xlix.  10.  But 
the  Hebrew  does  not  yield  this  meaning :  it  is  much 
more  vague  and  mysterious.  *'  The  sceptre  shall 
not  depart  from  Judah  .  .  .  until  Shiloh  come 
and  unto  him  shall  the  obedience  of  the  people  be. '  * 
Similarly  he  finds  an  allusion  to  the  grave  of 
Christ  in  the  words  of  Isaiah : '  *  His  sepulchre  shall 
be  glorious,"  though  the  Hebrew  bears  no  such 
meaning:  "  His  resting-place  shall  be  glorious  " 
(xi.  10.)  His  unhistorical  way  of  viewing  revela- 
tion misleads  him  into  an  unwarrantable  tamper- 


APPENDIX  161 

ing  with  the  text.  Take  for  example  a  passage 
which  runs  in  the  Hebrew  as  translated  by  the  Re- 
visers thus:  "  Send  ye  the  lambs  for  the  ruler 
of  the  land,  from  Sela  to  the  wilderness  unto 
the  mount  of  the  daughter  of  Zion,"  Isaiah  xvi.  1. 
(Comp.  II  Kings  iii.  4.)  The  prophet  calls  on 
Moab,  afraid  of  the  Assyrians,  to  send  a  tribute 
of  lambs  to  the  King  of  Judah  the  ruler  of  the 
land  of  Edom,  so  that  the  Moabites  may  claim 
his  protection  against  the  invader.  For  this 
historical  reference,  Jerome  substitutes,  with- 
out the  slightest  justification,  a  prediction  of  Him 
who  should  be  revealed  as  the  Lamb  of  God :  * '  Send 
forth,  0  Lord,  the  Lamb,  the  ruler  of  the  earth, 
from  Petra  of  the  desert  to  the  mount  of  the 
daughter  of  Zion."  To  take  a  final  illustration 
we  have  the  strange  rendering :  * '  Let  us  put  wood 
on  his  bread,'*  instead  of  which  the  Revised  Bible 
reads  **  Let  us  destroy  the  tree  with  the  fruit 
(margin,  bread)  thereof,"  Jeremiah  xi.  19.  The 
words  form  a  proverb,  and  they  are  uttered  by  the 
prophet's  enemies  as  an  expression  of  their  hatred, 
meaning,  **  Let  us  utterly  make  an  end  of  him." 
But  Jerome  finds  in  the  saying  an  allusion  to 
Christ,  of  whom  Jeremiah  was  a  type,  and  in  his 
Commentary  refers  * '  bread  ' '  to  Christ 's  body  the 


162  APPENDIX 

Bread  from  Heaven,  and  *'  wood  "  to  the  Cross. 
Hence  the  translation.  (Compare  for  other  ex- 
amples, Job  xix.  25-27 ;  Isaiah  xii.  8 ;  xlv.  8 ;  Daniel 
X.  24-27.  See  Gigot,  General  Introduction,  pp. 
323-325.) 


Note  E.— THE  GREEK  OF  THE  NEW 
TESTAMENT 

**  The  Greek  papyri  of  Egypt  are  in  themselves 
nothing  novel;  but  their  importance  for  the  his- 
torical study  of  the  language  did  not  begin  to  be 
realised  until,  within  the  last  decade  or  so,  the 
explorers  began  to  enrich  us  with  an  output  of 
treasure  which  has  been  perpetually  fruitful  in 
surprises.  The  attention  of  the  classical  world  has 
been  busy  with  the  lost  treatise  of  Aristotle  and  the 
new  poets  Bacchylides  and  Herodas,  while  theo- 
logians everywhere  have  eagerly  discussed  new 
*  Sayings  of  Jesus.'  But  even  these  last  must 
yield  in  importance  to  the  spoil  which  has  been 
gathered  from  the  wills,  official  reports,  private 
letters,  petitions,  accounts,  and  other  trivial  sur- 
vivals from  the  rubbish-heaps  of  antiquity.  They 
were  studied  by  a  young  investigator  of  genius,  at 


APPENDIX  163 

that  time  known  only  by  one  small  treatise  on  the 
Pauline  formula  h  Xpiari^,  which,  to  those  who  read 
it  now,  shows  abundantly  the  powers  that  were  to 
achieve  such  splendid  pioneer  work  within  three 
or  four  years.  Deissmann's  *  Bibelstudien  '  ap- 
peared in  1895,  his  '  Neue  Bibelstudien  '  in  1897. 
It  is  needless  to  describe  how  these  lexical  re- 
searches in  the  papyri  and  the  later  inscriptions 
proved  that  hundreds  of  words,  hitherto  assumed 
to  be  *  Biblical,' — technical  words,  as  it  were, 
called  into  existence  or  minted  afresh  by  the  lan- 
guage of  Jewish  religion, — were  in  reality  normal 
first-century  spoken  Greek,  excluded  from  literature 
by  the  nice  canons  of  Atticising  taste.  Professor 
Deissmann  dealt  but  briefly  with  the  grammatical 
features  of  this  newly-discovered  Greek ;  but  no  one 
charged  with  the  duty  of  editing  a  Grammar  of  NT 
Greek  could  read  his  work  without  seeing  that  a 
systematic  grammatical  study  in  this  field  was  the 
indispensable  equipment  for  such  a  task.  In  that 
conviction  the  present  writer  set  himself  to  the 
study  of  the  collections  which  have  poured  with  be- 
wildering rapidity  from  the  busy  workshops  of  Ox- 
ford and  Berlin,  and  others,  only  less  conspicuous. 
The  lexical  gleanings  after  Deissmann  which  these 
researches  have  produced,  almost  entirely  in  docu- 


164  APPENDIX 

ments  published  since  his  books  were  written,  have 
enabled  me  to  confirm  his  conclusions  from  in- 
dependent investigation. 

**  The  new  linguistic  facts  now  in  evidence  show 
with  startling  clearness  that  we  have  at  last  before 
us  the  language  in  which  the  apostles  and  evan- 
gelists wrote.  The  papyri  exhibit  in  their  writers 
a  variety  of  literary  education  even  wider  than  that 
observable  in  the  New  Testament,  and  we  can  match 
each  sacred  author  with  documents  that  in  respect 
of  Greek  stand  on  about  the  same  plane.  The  con- 
clusion is  that  '  Biblical  '  Greek,  except  where  it  is 
translation  Greek,  was  simply  the  vernacular  of 
daily  life.  Men  who  aspired  to  literary  fame  wrote 
in  an  artifical  dialect,  a  would-be  revival  of  the 
language  of  Athens  in  her  prime,  much  as  educated 
Greeks  of  the  present  day  profess  to  do.  The  NT 
writers  had  little  idea  that  they  were  writing  lit- 
erature. The  Holy  Ghost  spoke  absolutely  in  the 
language  of  the  people,  as  we  might  surely  have  ex- 
pected He  would.  The  writings  inspired  of  Him 
were  those: 


**  Which  he  may  read  that  binds  the  sheaf, 
Or  builds  the  house,  or  digs  the  grave ; 
Or  those  wild  eyes  that  watch  the  wave, 
In  roarings  round  the  coral  reef." 


APPENDIX  165 

The  very  grammar  and  dictionary  cry  out  against 
men  who  would  allow  the  Scriptures  to  appear  in 
any  other  form  than  that  '  understanded  of  the 
people.'  *'  J.  H.  Moulton,  A  Grammar  of  New 
Testament  Greek,  Vol.  I.  pp.  3-5  (Edinburgh, 
1906). 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

THE  ENGLISH  VERSIONS  FROM  TINDALE'S 
TO  THE  ANGLO-AMERICAN 
REVISED  VERSION 


TINDALE^S  BIBLE 

The  New  Testament.     First  edit.,  1525;   second,  1534. 

Reprint  in  Bagster's  Hexapla,  Lond.,  1841.     Facsimile 

reprint,  edited  by  F,  Fry,  Bristol,  1862. 
The  Five  Books  of  Moses.     First  edit.,  1530.    Reprint, 

edited  by  J.  I.  Mombert,  A^.  Y.  &  Lond.,  1884. 
Works  of  William  Tyndale,  edited  by  H.  Walter,  for 

the  Parker  Society,  3  vols.,  Cambridge,  1848-50. 
Whole  Works  of  W.  Tyndale  et  al.,  edited  by  J.  Daye. 

Land.,  1573. 


J.  Foxe.  Acts  and  Monuments.  First  edit.,  folio,  Lond., 
1562;  ninth,  3  vols.,  1684.  Many  times  reprinted  and 
abridged.     Seymour's  abridgment,  Lond.,  1838. 

D.  Wilkins.  Concilia  Magnae  Britannise  et  Hiberniae, 
vols.  Ill  &  IV,  Lond.,  1787. 

167 


168  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

J.  Strype.  Ecclesiastical  Memorials.  First  edit.,  3 
Eols.,  Lond.,  1721;  others,  Lond.,  1816,  Oxford,  1822. 
Memorials  of  Archbishop  Cranmer.  Folio,  1694  j  Ox- 
ford, 1812,  1840;  Lond.,  1848,  1853. 

T.  Fuller.  The  Church  History  of  Britain  until  the 
year  1648.    Land.,  1655,  1837,  1842;  Oxford,  1845. 

G.  Joy.  An  Apology  made  to  satisfy  W.  Tindale. 
1535.  Reprint  in  English  Scholar's  Library,  Birming- 
ham, 1882. 

J.  A.  Froude.  History  of  England,  vol.  III.  Lond., 
1856-70. 

F.  Fry.  A  Bibliographical  Description  of  the  editions 
of  the  N.  T.,  Tyndale's  version  in  English,  etc.  Lond., 
1878. 

J.  Gairdner.  The  English  Church  in  the  Sixteenth 
Century.     Lond.,  1902. 

J.  L.  Cheney.  The  Sources  of  Tmdale's  N.  T.  (Dis- 
sertation for  degree  of  Ph.D.  at  Leipzig.)  Halle, 
1893. 

J.  R.  Slater.  The  Sources  of  Tyndale's  version  of  the 
Pentateuch  (Ph.D.  thesis).     Chicago,  1906. 


The  Athenceum.  May  2,  1885.  Tindale's  Hebrew 
Scholarship.  Jan.  8,  Aug.  12,  Sept.  14,  1889,  Tin- 
dale's  New  Testament. 

The  Atlantic  Monthly.  Vol.  85.  The  Bible,  the  Father 
of  English  Prose  Style. 

Good  Words.  Vol.  26,  p.  1329.  The  First  English 
Bible.     J.  L.  Porter. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  169 

COVERDALE'S  BIBLE 

Original     editions,     1535-50.       Reprint     in     Bagster's 

Hexapla,  1838. 
Writings  and  Translations  of  Miles  Coverdale,  edited  by 

G.  Pearson,  for  the  Parker  Society.     Cambridge,  1841. 
Remains  of  Miles  Coverdale,  edited  by  G.  Pearson,  for 

the  Percy  Society.     Cambridge,  1846. 
B.  Bot field.     Some  Account  of  the  First  [Coverdale's] 

English  Bible,  1870. 

MATTHEW'S  BIBLE 

First  edit.,  1537.     (Made  by  J.  Rogers  from  Tindale's 
and  Coverdale's  translations.) 


J.  L.  Chester.    John  Rogers,  the  Compiler  of  the  First 

Authorised  English  Bible.    Lond.,  1861. 
State  Papers,  Henry  VIII,  vol.  I. 
See  also  Foxe,  Strype,  etc.,  under  Tindale. 

GREAT  BIBLE 

Original  editions,  1539,  1540,  1541. 

Reprint  of  the  Psalter  of  1539,  Lond.,  1894. 


F.  Fry.    A  Description  of  the  Great  Bible,  1539,  and 

of  Cranmer's  Bible,  1540-41.     Lond.,  1865. 
See  also  references  under  Tindale  and  Coverdale. 


170  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

GENEVAN  BIBLE 

First  Genevan  New  Testament  (Whittingham^s) .    Geneva, 

1557.     Reprint  in  Bagster's  Hexapla,  1842. 
The  Genevan  Bible.    Geneva,  1560. 


Original  Letters  on  the  English  Reformation.    Vol.  11. 

Cambridge,  1847. 
Life  of  W.  Whittingham.     Camden  Miscellany,  vol.  VI. 

Westminster,  1870.     Reprinted  in  Lorimer's  Life  of 

John  Knox,  Lond.,  1875. 
W.  F.  Hook.    Lives  of  the  Archbishops  of  Canterbury, 

vol.  IX.   Lond.,  1872. 


The  Bibliographer.     (Lond.)     July,  Sept.,   Nov.,  1882; 
Mar.,  July,  1883,  N.  Pocock. 

BISHOPS'  BIBLE 

Folio  editions,  1568,  1572 ;  quartos,  1569,  1570.     Second 
edition  reprinted  by  Fulke,  1589. 


W.  Fulke.  A  Defence  of  the  Sincere  and  True  Trans- 
lations of  the  Holy  Scriptures  into  the  English 
Tongue.  Lond.,  1583,  1633.  Reprinted  for  the 
Parker  Society,  Cambridge,  1843. 

Correspondence  of  Matthew  Parker  (originals  in  the 
Record  Office,  London).  Published  by  the  Parker 
Society,  Cambridge^  1853. 


Have  mercy  upon  me  (O 
God)  after  thy  goodness, 
and  according  unto  thy 
great  mercies,  do  a-way  mine 
offences. 

Wash  nie  well  from  my 
wickedness,  and  cleanse  me 
from  mine  sin.  For  I  (ac) 
knowledge    my    faults,    and 

Against  thee  only,  against 
thee  have  I  sinned  and  done 
evil  in  thy  sight,  that  thou 
mightest  he  justified  in  thy 
sayings,  and  shouldest  over- 
come when  thou  art  judged. 


GREAT  BIBLE 


Have  mercy  upon  me  (O 
God)  after  thy  (great) 
goodness,  according  unto  the 
multitude  of  thy  mercies,  do 
away  mine  offences.  Wash 
rae  throughly  from  my 
wickedness,  and  cleanse  me 
from  ray  sin.  For  I  (ac) 
knowledge  my  faults,  and 
my  sin  is  ever  before  me. 
Against  thee  have  I  sin- 
in  thy  sight  that  thou 
mightest  be  justified  in 
thy  saying,  and  clear  when 
thou  art  judged.  Behold 
I  was  shapen  in  wick- 
edness, and  in  sin  hath 
my  mother  conceived  me. 
But  lo,  thou  requirest  truth 
in  the  inward  parts,  and 
shalt  make  me  to  under- 
stand wisdom  secretly. 


GENEVAN  BIBLE 
1560 


2.  Wash  me,  througlily 
from  mine  iniquity,  and 
cleanse  me  from  ray  sin. 

3.  For  I  know  mine  iniq- 
uities  and    my   sin    is   ever 

4.  Against  thee,  against 
thee  only  have  I  sinned,  and 
done  evil  in  thy  sight,  that 
thou  mayest  be  just  when 
thou  speakest,  and  pure 
when  thou  judgest. 


5.  Behold.  I  was  horn  in 
iniquity,  and  in  sin  hath  my 
mother  conceived  me. 

6.  Behold,  thou  loveat 
truth  in  the  inward  affec- 
tions: therefore  hast  thou 
taught    me    wisdom    in    the 


156S 

1.  Have  mercy  on  me,  O 
Lord,  according  to  tiiy  lov- 
according 
multitudes  of  thy 
'ipe  out  my  wicked- 


3.  For  I  do  acknowledge 
my  wickedness:  and  my  sin 

4.  Against  thee,  only 
against  thee  I  have  sinned, 
and  done  this  evil  in  thy 
sight:  that  thou  mightest 
he  justified  in,  thy  saying, 
and   found   pure  when   thou 


6.  Nevertheless,  lo  thou 
requirest  truth  in  the  in- 
ward parts  [of  me] :  [and 
therefore]  thou  wilt  make 
me  learn  wisdom  in  the: 
secret  [part  of  mine  heart.] 


AUTHORISED  VERSION 


Have  mercy  upon  me,  0 
God,  according  to  thy  lov- 
ingkindnesa;  according  imto 
the  multitude  of  thy  tender 
mercies,  blot  out  my  trans- 
gressions. 

2.  Wash  me  throughly 
from  mine  iniquity  and 
cleanse  me  from  my  sin. 

3.  For  I  acknowledge  my 
transgressions;  and  my  sin 
is  ever  before  me. 

4.  Against  thee,  thee  only, 
have  I  sinned  and  done  this 
evil  in  thy  sight;  that  thou 
mightest  be  justified  when 
thou  speakest  and  be  clear 
when  thou  judgest. 


5.  Behold  I  was  shapen  in 
iniquity;  and  in  sin  did  ray 
mother  conceive  me. 

6.  Behold,  thou  desirest 
truth  in  the  inward  parts; 
and  in  the  hidden  part 
thou  shalt  make  me  to  know 


REVISED    VERSION 

1885 
1.  Have    mercy    upon    rae, 


ingkindness. 

According  to  the  multi- 
tude of  thy  tender  mercies 
blot  out  my  transgressions. 

2.  Wasli  me  throughly 
from  mine  iniquity 

And  cleanse  me  from  my 


1901 

1.  Have  mercy  upon  me, 
0  God,  according  to  thy  lov- 
ingkindness : 

According  to  the  multi- 
tude of  thy  tender  mercies 
blot  out  my  transgressions. 

2.  Wash  me  thoroughly 
from  mine  iniquity, 

And  cleanse  me  from  my 


3.  For 
transgressions ; 
And   my    sin    is 


acknowledge  my 


my  1 


And  I 


thee,  thee  only, 


hav 


And  done  that  whicli  is 
evil   in   thy  sight: 

That  thou  mayest  be  jus- 
tified when  thou  speakest, 
and  he  clear  when  thou 
judgest. 

5.  Behold,  I  was  shapen 
in  iniquity: 

And  in  sin  did  my  mother 

6.  Behold,  thou  desirest 
truth  in  the  Inward  parts; 
And  in  the  hidden  .  part 
thou  shalt  make  me  to  know 


4.  Against  thee,  thee  only 

And  done  that  whieh  is 
.vil  in  thy  sight; 

That  thou  mayest  be  jus- 
tified when  thou  speakest. 
And  be  clear  when  thou 
judgest. 

5.  Behold,  I  was  brought 
forth  in  iniquity; 

And  in  sin  did  my  mother 

6.  Behold,  thou  desirest 
truth  in  the  inward  parts; 
And  in  the  hidden  part  thou 
wilt     make     me     to     know 


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Original  edition,  1611.    Reprinted  in  Bagster's  Hexapla, 

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Edinburgh  Review.  July,  1865.  Vol.  129,  pp.  103  £f. 
Revision  of  the  English  Bible. 

New  Englander.  May,  1879.  Vol.  38.  The  Revision 
of  the  Authorised  English  Version  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment.    T.  Dwight.     Reprinted,  New  Haven,  1879. 

Quarterly  Review.  1882.  New  Testament  Revision: 
the  new  English  Version.     T.  W.  Burgon. 

The  Expositor.     1887.     C.  J.  Ellicott. 


II.     GENERAL   HISTORICAL  INFORMATION 

Many  of  the  following  works  contain  chapters  or  sec- 
tions on  the  special  versions  of  Part.  I. 


Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.     1877. 
Encyclopaedia  Britannica.     1878.    Art.,  English  Bible. 


Thcrefoie  now  iiolliiug  of 
damaation  is  to  lliem  thai  are 
in  Christ  Jeaus,  whicb  wan- 
der not  after  the  flesh.  For 
the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in 
Christ  Jesus  hath  delivered 
me  from  the  law  of  siu  and 
of  deatli.  For  that  that  was 
impossible  to  the  law  in 
what  thing  it  was  sick  by 
flesh,  God  sent  His  Son  into 
the  likeness  of  flesh  of  sin 
nnd  of  siu  damned  siu  in  flesh 
that  the  justifying  of  the  law 
were  fulfilled  in  us  that  go 
not  after  the  flesh  but  after 
the  spirit.  For  tla-y  that  are 
after  the  flesh  savor  those 
things  that  are  of  the  flesh 
but  they  tliat  are  after  the 
spirit  feel  those  things  that 
are  of  the  spirit.  For  the 
prudence  of  flesh  is  death; 
but  the  prudence  of  Spirit 
is  life  and  ppace.  For  the 
wisdom  of  the  flesh  is  enemy 
to  God;  for  it  is  not  subject 
to  the  law  of  God.  for  neither 
it  may.  And  they  that  are  in 
flesh  cannot  please  lo  God. 


MATTHEW    (TINDALE) 

1537 

There  is  then  no  damna- 
tion to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,  which  walk 
not  after  the  flesh:  but  after 
the  Spirit.  For  the  law  of 
the  Spirit,  that  bringeth  life 
through   Jesus    Christ    hath 


delii 


the 


because  of  the  flesh;  that 
performed  God  and  sent  his 
son  in  the  similitude  of  sin- 
ful flesh  and  by  sin  damned 
sin  in  the  flesh:  that  the 
righteousness  required  "by 
the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in 
us,  which  walk  not  after  the 
flesh  but  after  the  Spirit. 
For  they  that  are  carnal  are 
carnally  minded.  But  they 
that  are  spiritual  are  ghostly 
minded.  To  he  carnally 
minded  is  death.  But  to  be 
spiritually  minded  is  life 
and  peace.  Because  that 
the  fleshly  mind  is  enemy 
against  God;  for  it  is  not 
obedient  to  the  law  of  God, 
neither    ran    be.      So    then 


:  God. 


GREAT  BIBLE 


There  is  then  no  damna- 
tion to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,  which  walk 
not  after  tlie  llesh,  hut  after 
the  Spirit.    For  the  law  of 


free  from  the  law  of  sin, 
and  death.  For  what  the 
law  could  not 


the  flesh)  that  performed 
God  and  sent  His  Son  in 
the  similitude  of  sinful  flesh, 
and  by  sin  damned  sin  in 
the  flesh,  that  the  right- 
eousness of  the  law,  might 
be  fulfilled  in  us,  which  walk 
not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  Spirit. 


For  they  tliat  are  carnal, 
are  carnally  minded  But 
they  that  iire  spiritual,  are 
ghostly  minded.  To  be  car 
nally  minded,  is  death.  But 
to  he  spiritually  minded,  is 
life  and  peace. 


Because  that  the  fleshly 
mind  is  enmity  against  God: 
for  it  is  not  obedient  to 
the  law  of  God.  neither  can 
be.  So  then  they  that  are 
in  the  flesh,  cannot  please 
God. 


GENEVAN  BIBLE 
1560 

1.  Now  then  there  is  no 
condemnation  to  them  that 
are  in  Christ  Jesus,  which 
walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but 
after  the  Spirit. 

2.  For  the  law  of  the 
Spirit  of  life  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus,  hath  freed  me 
from  the  law  of  sin  and  of 
death. 

3.  For  (that  that  was 
impossible  to  the  Law,  in- 
asmuch as  it  was  weak, 
because  of  the  flesh)  God 
sending  his  own  Son,  in  the, 
similitude    of    sinful     flesh, 

in    the    lh-!i, 

4.  Thai  tl,r  r,.J,l.-.„.„..-s 
of  the  law  n.iglit  l.e  fulfill. ■.! 
in  us,  which  walk  not  after 
the  flesh,  but  after  the 
Spirit. 

5.  For  they  that  are  after 
the  flesh,  savor  the  things 
of  the  flesh,  but  they  that 
are  after  the  Spirit,  the 
things  of  the  Spirit. 


6.  For  the  wisdom  of  the 
flesh  is  death:  but  the  wis- 
dom of  the  Spirit  is  life  and 

7.  Because  the  wisdom  of 
the  flesh  is  enmity  against 
God:  for  it  is  not  subject  to 
the  Law  of  God,  neither  in- 


BISHOPS'  BIBLE 
1568 

1.  There  is  then  no  dam- 
nation to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,  which  walk 
not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the    Spirit. 

2.  For  the  law  of  the 
Spirit  of  life,  through  Jesus 
Christ,  hath  made  me  free 
from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death. 

3.  For  what  the  law  could 
not  do,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
weak  through  the  flesh,  God 
having  sent  his  own  son,  in 
the  similitude  of  sinful 
flesh,  even  by  sin,  condemned 
sin  in  the  flesh: 

4.  That  the  righteousness 
of  the  law,  might  be  fulfilled 
in  us,  which  walk  not  after 
the  flesh,  but  after  the 
Spirit. 

5.  For  they  that  are  car- 
nal, are  carnally  minded: 
But  they  that  are  spiritual, 
are  spiritually  minded. 


6.  To  be  carnally  minded, 
is  death:  But  to  be  spiritu- 
ally   minded,    is    life    and 

7.  Because  that  the  fleshly 
mind  is  enmity  against  God: 
for  it  is  not  obedient  to  the 
law  of  God,  neither  can  be. 


RHELMS  N.  T. 


L  There  is  now  therefore 
no  damnation  to  them  that 
are  in  Christ  Jesus:  that 
walk  not  according  to  the 
ftesh. 

2.  For  the  law  of  the 
Spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesus,  hath  delivered  me 
from  the  law  of  sin  and 
of  death. 

3.  For  that  which  was  im- 
possible to  the  Law,  in  that 
it  was  weakened  by  the 
flesh;  God  sending  his  Son 
in  the  similitude  of  the 
flesh  of  sin,  even  of  sin 
damned  sin  in  the  flesh, 

4.  That  the  justification 
of  the  law  might  l>e  ful- 
filled in  us,  who  walk  not 
according  to  tlio  flesh,  but 
according  to  the  Spirit. 

5.  For  they  that  are  ac- 
cording to  the  flesh,  are  af- 
fected to  the  things  that  are 
of  the  flesh,  hut  they  that 
are  according  to  the  Spirit: 
are  aff"ected  to  the  things 
that  are  of  the  Spirit. 

6.  For  the  wisdom  of  the 
flesh,  is  death;  but  the  wis- 
dom of  the  Spirit,  life  and 

7.  Because  the  wisdom  of 
the   flesh, 

Is  an  enemy  to  God:  for 
to  the  law  of  God  it  is  not 
subject,  neither  can  it  be. 

8.  And  they  that  are  in 
the  flesh,  cannot  please  God, 


AUTHORISED      VERSION  REVISED    VERSION 


1611 

which  are  in  Christ  Jesus. 
who  walk  not  after  the 
flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit. 

2.  For  the  law  of  the 
Spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesus  hath  made  me  free 
from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death. 

3.  For  what  the  law  could 
not  do.  in  that  it  was  weak 
through  the  flesh,  God  send- 
ing his  OAvn  Son  in  the  like- 
ness of  sinful  flesh,  and  for 
sin,  condemned  sin  in  the 
flesh: 


4.  That  the  righteousness 
of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled 
in  us.  who  walk  not  after 
the  flesh,  but  after  the 
Spirit. 

5.  For  they  that  are  after 
the  flesh  do  mind  the  things 
of  the  flesh;  but  they  that 
are  after  the  Spirit,  the 
thin^  of  the  Spirit. 


spiritually    minded    is    life 
and  peace. 

7.  Because  the  carnal 
mind  is  enmity  against 
God;  for  it  is  not  subject  to 
the  law  of  G&d,  neither  in- 


1881 

There  is  therefore  now  no 
condemnation  to  them  that 
are  in  Christ  Jesus.  2.  For 
the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life 
in    Christ    Jesus    made    me 


free 


the 


and  of  death, 
the  law  could  i 


For  what      of 
do,  in  that 


it  was  weak  through  the 
flesh,  God,  sending  his  own 
Son  in  the  likeness  of  sin- 
ful flesh  and  as  an  ofi'ering 
for  sin,  condemned  sin  in 
the  flesh,  4.  that  the  ordi- 
nance of  the  law  might  be 
fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  spirit.    5.  For  they  that 

the  things  of  tW%  flesh;  but 
they  that  are  after  the 
spirit  the  things  of  the 
spirit.  6.  For  the  mind  of 
the  flesh  is  death;  but  the 
mind  of  the  spirit  is  life 
and  peace.  7.  Because  the 
mind  of  the  flesh  is  enmity 
against  God ;  for  it  is  not 
subject   to   the   law  of  God, 


■ither  ; 


the 


AMERICAN  REVISED 

1901 

There  is  therefore  now  no 
condemnation  to  them  that 
are  in  Christ  Jesus.  2.  For 
the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life 
in  Christ  Jesus  made  me 
free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death.  3.  For  what  the 
law  could  not  do.  in  that  it 
was  weak  through  the  flesh, 
God,  sending  his  own  Son 
in  the  likeness  of  sinful 
flesh  and  for  sin,  condemned 
sin  in  the  flesh:  4.  that  the 
ordinance  of  the  law  might 
be  fulfilled  in  us.  who  walk 
not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  spirit.  5.  For  they  that 
are  after  the  fiesh  mind  the 
things  of  the  flesh;  but  they 
that  are  after  the  spirit  the 
things  of  the  spirit.    6.  For 


the    flesh 


the  mind  of 
death;  hut  the  mind  of  the 
spirit  is  life  and  peace:  7. 
because  the  mind  of  the  flesh 
is  enmity  against  God;  for 
it  is  not  subject  to  the  law 
of  God.   neither  indeed  can 


'  The  spelling  is  modernised  througho 


!  Rhemish  renderings  a 


1  for  the  sake  of  comparisc 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  181 

New  International  Encyclopaedia.     1902. 

Hastings's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.  Extra  volume. 
1904. 

New  Schaff-Herzog  EncyclopaBclia  of  Religious  Knowl- 
edge.    1908.     Vol.  II.  Art.,  Bible  Versions. 

Hastings's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible  (Single  volume). 
1909. 


Bihliotheca  Literaria.  Vol.  IV,  pp.  1-23,  an  essay  upon 
the  English  Translations  of  the  Bible.     1723. 

A.  Johnson.  An  Historical  Account  of  the  Several  Eng- 
lish Translations  of  the  Bible.  1730.  Reprinted  in 
R.  Watson's  Collection  of  Theological  Tracts.  Vol. 
III.    1791. 

W.  Newcome.  An  Historical  View  of  the  English 
Biblical  Translations.     Dublin,  1792. 

R.  Grier.  Answer  to  Ward's  Errata  of  the  English 
Bible.     Lond.,  1812.    . 

J.  Lewis.  History  of  the  Several  Translations  of  the 
Holy  Bible  into  English.     1731,  1739,  1818. 

S.  P.  Tregelles.     The  English  Hexapla.     1841. 

T.  Ward.  Errata  of  the  Protestant  Bible.  New  edition, 
Dublin,  1841;  N.  Y.,  1844. 

C.  Anderson.  Annals  of  the  English  Bible.  2  vols. 
1845-1862. 

G.  Offor.  MS.  Notes  in  Anderson's  Annals,  British 
Museum. 

H.  Cotton.  List  of  Editions  of  the  Bible  and  Parts 
thereof,  1805-1850.    Sec.  edit.,  Oxford,  1852. 


182  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

M.  Stuart.  The  Bible  and  the  Versions  of  the  Bible. 
1856. 

Bibliotheca  Sacra.  April,  1858.  Vol.  151,  p.  261. 
English  Translations  of  the  Bible. 

F.  Fry.  Description  of  the  Great  Bible  and  the  Edi- 
tions of  the  Authorised  Version.     1865. 

W.  F.  Kirhy.  Gleanings  from  Many  Fields,  or  the  Early- 
Days  of  our  English  Bible.     1870. 

T.  Walden.     Our  English  Bible  and  its  Ancestors.     1871. 

W.  J.  Loftie.  A  Century  of  Bibles,  1611-1711.  Lond., 
1872. 

J.  Eadie.     The  English  Bible.     2  vols.    Lond.,  1876. 

H.  Stevens.  The  History  of  the  Oxford  Caxton  Mem- 
orial Bible.     Lond.,  1878. 

W.  F.  Moulton.  The  Histoiy  of  The  English  Bible. 
Lond.,  1878. 

P.  Sehaff.    Bible  Revision.     1879. 

T.  J.  Conant.  The  English  Bible.  N.  Y.,  1856.  Re- 
print as  "  Popular  History  of  the  Translations  of  th« 
Holy  Scriptures."     1881. 

S.  Newth.    Lectures  on  Bible  Revision.     1881. 

B.  Condit.    History  of  the  English  Bible.    N.  Y.,  1882. 

Woolcombe.     The  English  Bible  and  its  Versions.     1882. 

F.  Bo  wen.  A  Layman's  Study  of  the  English  Bible  in 
its  Literary  and  Secular  aspects.    N.  Y.,  1886. 

W.  T.  Dohson.  History  of  the  Bassandyne  Bible,  the 
first  printed  in  Scotland.     Edin.,  1887. 

J.  B.  Bore.     Old  Bibles.     Lond.,  1888. 

A.  Edgar.     Bibles  of  England.     Paisley,  etc.     1889. 

7,  P.  Smyth.    Old  Documents  and  the  New  Bible.    1890. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  183 

J.  Wright.    Early  Bibles  of  America.    1892. 

n.  Lovett.  The  Printed  English  Bible,  1525-1885. 
1891.  Reprint,  Present  Day  Primers,  No.  2.  Chi- 
cago &  Lond.,  1894. 

B.  T.  Talbot.  Our  Bible  and  how  It  has  Come  to  Us. 
1894. 

F.  G.  Kenyon.  Our  Bible  and  the  Ancient  Manuscripts. 
1896. 

W.  Milligan.     The  English  Bible.    1896. 

Harper's  Magazine.  Vol.  104.  The  Pedigree  of  the 
English  Bible. 

J.  A.  Clapperton.  Pitfalls  in  Bible  English.  Lond., 
1899. 

W.  B.  Thomson.  The  History  of  the  English  Bible. 
Bible  Class  Primers.     Edin.,  etc.     (1900). 

B.  G.  Moulton.  The  Literary  Study  of  the  Bible.  1895. 
The  Modern  Reader's  Bible.  (Edited  by  R.  G.  Moul- 
ton.) A^.  Y.,  1898.  A  Short  Introduction  to  th« 
Literature  of  the  Bible.     Boston,  1901. 

H.  W.  Hoare.  The  Evolution  of  the  English  Bible. 
Lond.y  1901,  1902. 

W.  Bosenau.  Hebraisms  in  the  Authorised  Version  of 
the  Bible.     Baltimore,  1903. 

B.  F.  Westcott.  General  View  of  the  History  of  the 
English  Bible.    Lond.,  1868,  1872,  1905. 

W.  J.  Beaton.     Our  Own  English  Bible.    1905. 

J.  H.  Gardiner.  The  Bible  as  English  Literature. 
N.  Y.,  1906. 

J.  I.  Momhert.  English  Versions  of  the  Bible :  a  Hand- 
book.   Lond.,  1883,  1896,  1907. 


184  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

I.  M.  Price.     The  Ancestry  of  our  English  Bible.     Sec. 

Edit.    Phil,  1907. 
J.  Gairdner.     LoUardy  and  the  Reformation  in  England. 

2  vols.     Lond.,  1908. 
Protestant    and    Roman     Catholic    Bibles     Compared. 

Three  Gould  prize  essays  edited  by  M.  W.  Jacobus. 

New  York,  1908. 
Henslow.     The  Vulgate,  the  Source  of  False  Doctrine. 

Lond.,  1909. 
Quarterly    Review.     April,    1870.      Vol.    128,    p.    301. 

The  English  Bible. 
J.  B.  Harris.     Sidelights  on  New  Testament  Research. 

Lond.,  1909. 


INDEX 


Allen,  William,  63-67 

American  Edition  of  Re- 
vised Version,  its  virtues, 
119-122;  criticism  of,  121 

American  Revisers,  The,  103 

Andrews,  91 

Anglo-American  Revision, 
The,  100-126 

Anglo-American  Revisers, 
their    impartiality,    107 

Antwerp  Polyglot,   94 

Augustine,  St.,  146 

Authorised  Version,  87-97, 
116 

Bellamine,  Cardinal,  154-155 

Berger,    152 

Bentlev,    Richard,     146 

Beza,  71 

Bible,  The,  Tindale's  ver- 
sion, Coverdale's  version, 
27-38;  Matthew's  version, 
35;  Public  use  of,  41; 
Genevan  version,  40-53, 
54-85 ;  Revised  Version, 
19,  25-26,  33-34,  63,  73, 
87-91.  107;  The  Great 
Bible,  36-39,  44,  55-58,93; 
Authorised  Version,  46, 
48,  87-97.  116;  Bishops' 
Bible,  55-62,  73-88;  Ro- 
man Catholic  version,  63- 
86;  Rhemish  version,  34, 
70-72,  76,  80-83,  89;  An- 
glo-American Revision, 
100-126 


Bible,  the  Great,  36-39,  44, 

55-58,   93 
Bishop's  Bible,  55-62,  73-88 
Blaney,  Dr.,  92,  footnote 
Brastow,  Richard,  69-70 
British    Revisers,    103 
Burkett,   F.   C,   125 

Calvin,    42 

Carleton,  Dr.  J.  G.,  79-81, 
84 

Challoner,  Richard,  76-77 

Church  Quarterly  Review, 
136 

Clementine  Vulgate,  155- 
156 

Colet,  2 

Coverdale,  Miles,  personal- 
ity, 28 ;  style,  29 ;  studies, 
30;  his  translation,  31- 
33;  compared  with  Tin- 
dale's,  33-34,  37;  with 
Matthew's    text,    35 

Cromwell,  Thomas,  28 

Damasus,  Pope,  147 
Dante,  5 

Douay   Diaries,    64-68;    Ap- 
pendix.   Islote  C.  passim 
Downes,  91 

Eadie,   Dr.,   93 
Edward  VI.,  40 
Elizabeth,   Queen,   30,  54-63 
Ellicott,  Bishop,  100-104 


185 


186 


INDEX 


English  Bible,  the,  its  his- 
tory and  organic  growth, 
123 

Erasmus,  2,  3,  13,  15,  40, 
94 

Foxe,  1 

Fulke,  William,  Dr.,  89 


More,    Sir    Thomas,    11-12, 

22 
Munster,  Sebastian,  36 

Newman,  Cardinal,  77-78 

O'Connell,  Daniel,  70 

Old  Latin   Version,   134-151 


foot- 


Gairdner,  James,   28 
Gardiner,    S.   H.,    85; 

note 
Gardiner,  Bishop,  28 
Gasquet,      Abbot,      135-136, 

157 
Genevan  version,  the,  40-54, 

86-93 
Gigot,  Francis  E.,  footnote, 

20 
Gilby,  Anthony,  43 
Gregory,  the  Great   (Pope), 

141  * 
Griesbach,    101 

Hampton  Court  Conference, 

87 
Hus,  136 

Jerome,  St.,  71-72 

Kilbye,    91 

King    James   I.,   77-79,   87, 

101 
Knox,  John,   42-44 

Lamb,  Charles,  58 
Latimer,  Hugh,  27 
Laurence,  Giles,  55 
Lewis,  Mrs.,  124 
Lively,  91 
Luther,  14,  74,  94 

Martin,  Gregory,  67-69 
Matthew,  Thomas,  35 


Parker,  Archbishop,  55 
Parsons,    Robert,    67,    foot- 
note 
Purvey,  John,  134-135 

Reuchlin,  22 

Revised  Version,  the,  19,  25- 

26,    33-34,    63,    73,    87-91, 

107 
Reynolds,   Dr.,   87-88 
Rhemish   Version,   the,    and 

the    Rhemists,    34,    70-72, 

76,  80-84,  89 
Rogers,  John,  7 
Roman  Catholic  version,  63- 

86 

Saintsbury,    1 

Sampson,  Thomas,  41,  44 

Sanday,    145-148 

Schall,  Dr.  Philip,  104,  116, 

footnote 
Scrivener,  90-156 
Seeden,  92 
Semitic  Idioms,  25 
Shakespeare,  46 
Smith,   Miles,   91 

Tindale,  William,  1;  pub- 
lished works,  5;  the 
translation,  7-16;  quali- 
fications, 10,  20;  style,  11, 
12;  scholarship,  20-26; 
his  debt  to  Wycliffe,  Ap- 
pendix Note  B 


INDEX 


187 


Tremellius,  94 

Trench,      Archbishop,      102, 

footnote 
Trent,  Council  of,  153-154 

Vendeville,   Dr.,   64 
Vercellone,  152 
Vulgate,  6,  14,  31-34,  71-85, 
94;  Appendix,  C  and  D 

Westcott  and  Hort,  their 
edition  of  the  Greek  N.  T., 
115,  124,  147 


Westcott  on  Tindale,  13,  26 
Whitchurch's  Bible,  9i 
Whittingham,   William,   41- 

42 
Wiseman,  Cardinal,   145 
Wordsworth      and      White, 
their  edition  of  the  Vul- 
gate N.  T.,  15,  148,  156 
Wood,  Anthony,  69 
Worthington,  Thomas,  68 
Wycliffe,    3,v  36,    Notes    A 
and  B 

Zelyffe,  14 


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